


A Thousand Different Ways

by TimmyJaybird



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Assassins don't snuggle or blush - or do they, Dick gives Damian kittens, Dick has to teach Damian things, Dirty Talk, Idiots in Love, Light Praise Kink, M/M, Masturbation, Public Sex, a massive string of smut and fluff, all the usual gay sex warnings, mentioned TimKon, mentioned past DickBabs, mentioned past JayDick, slight costume kink, there's a case woven through it but don't get attached to that, virgin Damian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 11:18:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 40,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4135479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimmyJaybird/pseuds/TimmyJaybird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damian grew up, and all he wanted was for Dick to look at him not as a child, but as an adult with a <i>very</i> physical interest in his former partner. And maybe, with the right persuasion, he could achieve that. But the affection that came with such an endeavor- well that was entirely unplanned.</p><p>Or, how Dick showed up at the Manor with three kittens, and never dreamed it would start a chain of events that led to him falling in love with the boy who had been <i>his Robin</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've spent the last week or so on this fic. I don't really know what happened, I just had this huge DickDami urge, and suddenly I was face deep in this mess.
> 
> I hope you guys find it cute and the smut enjoyable, because the plot is weak and was never the focus. Just the idiots falling in love.

Damian heard the door from where he was sitting, laptop on his lap, Titus laying at his feet. The dog perked up first, before getting to his feet and trotting off towards the very loud _hey, anyone home!_ that came from the doorway. Damian knew the voice. He’d know it anywhere.

Heaving a sigh, he shifted his laptop off his lap, getting up and padding out in his bare feet, crossing his arms when he found Dick attempting to close the door with his shoulder. His arms were occupied by a large box, which he was clutching rather tightly.

“Grayson,” Damian stated, rather flatly. Dick grinned at him, taking a few careful steps, as Titus was still by his side, looking up at him, expecting attention. “What are you doing here?”

“What? I can’t stop by and say hi? Nice to see you too.” His smile didn’t disappear, and Damian glanced at the box he was holding.

“Do not tell me you are moving back in.” Not that it would be even shocking. Dick spent plenty of time at the manor, it was a wonder he even kept his apartment in Gotham. And, for all his scowling, Damian preferred his company to anyone else’s. Perhaps that was _why_ he was scowling.

“Wouldn’t that be fun? Think of it, pizza after patrols. Movies ‘til dawn. We’d have a blast.” He bent down, finally setting the box down, and taking a moment to scratch Titus behind one ear. “But no, sorry little D. Why don’t you look inside?”

Damian raised one eyebrow, glancing from the box to Dick, who was watching him expectantly. “Grayson I do not have time for games. I was working on an assignment, and I have reading to do before patrol tonight-“

“Dammit Damian, just open the box please?” Dick batted his eyelashes, and Damian cursed him. Years spent with this man, and there was just something about his pretty face that Damian couldn’t exactly ignore. Especially over the past few years, as he’d grown up.

Damian settled down on his knees, grasping at the floppy edges of the box and opening it. For a moment, he simply stared, sure he wasn’t seeing correctly-

Then there was a small _meow_ , and he was sure it wasn’t a trick. Three kittens were looking up at him, two big sets of blue eyes, one green, and he glanced up at Dick.

“Look, they’ve been outside the apartment for a while now. They’re pretty skinny, and well...I can’t exactly have pets. I mean, I probably could, but...you’ve got more room here.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I gave them a bath. They didn’t like it too much.” Dick rubbed at his arm, covered by his jacket, hiding the multitude of angry red scratches the kittens had given him.

“Grayson, I already have a cat.” Not that Damian knew where Alfred was in that very minute, most likely stretched out in one of the windows, catching the early afternoon sun.

Dick frowned. “Well, I guess I could try to find them a home, or take them to a shelter, if you don’t want them-“

“I did not say that.” Damian reached into the box, hand hanging limply for the kittens to smell. There was a brief pause while they did, before all three began mashing their faces against him, nuzzling up into his palm. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile- one that Dick definitely noticed.

“Well good. Because I don’t want to deal with that.” He crouched down, reaching a hand into the box and letting them sniff it. Of the three, the small grab tabby hissed at him, puffing out her little tail. Damian began chuckling while Dick frowned. “Well jeez, sorry you found the bath so insulting.” He stood back up, brushing his hands along his thighs. “Make sure to tell me what you name them.”

Damian glanced up at him. “Are you leaving?” Dick shrugged a shoulder.

“Well. Yeah. That’s what I came over to do. And you even said you were working on something. School’s important and all kid, I know.” Dick grinned at him, sheepishly. Hard for him to believe that Damian was doing the whole _college thing_ , had been for a while, actually. No surprise to Dick that the kid started early, that he’d be done soon. Have a piece of paper proclaiming he was smart. Not that any of the family doubted that- but it looked good, considering he was, after all, _Bruce Wayne’s son_.

“Will you come out for patrol tonight?” he asked, standing up, and Dick shook his head.

“Sorry. Bruce already knows I can’t tonight. Got my hands tied already with a few things.” Damian nodded, ever so slightly, and Dick almost got the impression the kid missed him. Almost. If he didn’t know Damian better then that. They _had_ been busy, as of late. “Some night soon though, okay? Maybe the big man will let me steal you away.” He walked around the mask, throwing his arm around Damian’s shoulders. “Just you and me, like the old days. Maybe I’ll steal Bruce’s cowl.”

“I don’t believe father would enjoy that.” Dick expected Damian to pull away from his arm, and was shocked that he didn’t. Once, there was a time he might have struggled away from him, until he was simply too tired and was passed out right against Dick. When he was little.

Which was mind blowing now, considering Damian stood _taller_ then him by a few inches, now. Scary, how they grew up.

“Yeah well, he’ll get over it.” He squeezed Damian’s shoulders, before pulling back. “Take good care of them, okay? Actually, you know what, I don’t even need to say that to you. You like animals better then you like the family.”

Dick was walking away before Damian could respond, a choked _except you_ in his throat. He was thankful for it. There was no reason for him to say such a thing to Dick.

Once Dick had left, he picked the box up, carefully carrying it back to the sitting room he had been in. Titus followed, waiting until he had settled the box on the floor, and Damian had folded up on the couch, before sticking his head in, sniffing at the new family members. One pawed gently at his muzzle, and he pushed the kitten over, sweetly. Damian watched for a minute, before reaching in, lifting the little grey tabby and settling her on his lap, scratching behind her ear. She started to purr, looking up at him with big blue eyes-

And openly, he smiled.

*

Dick was half way through buttoning his shirt when his phone started ringing, settled on his nightstand. He walked over, grabbing it, seeing Bruce’s name, and sighed. _Oh, boy_.

“Hey-“ he started, cut off immediately.

“Three cats, Dick. _Three_? You do understand that I spend every damn minute with Damian reminding him the Manor is not a zoo, right?” Dick sighed.

“Look, they didn’t have anywhere to go-“

“There are _shelters_ , Dick.”

“Yeah, and the Manor _is_ big enough for a zoo. Relax, it’s not like I brought him a pack of wild dogs. It’s a couple cats. It’s not like Alfred gives you a problem.” There was a pause, and Dick grinned. “Alfred is there, isn’t he? Curled up in your lap?”

He heard Bruce huff a breath, then, “Ask me next time, please?”

“Yeah, alright. Sorry.” Dick cradled his phone against his shoulder, working on the buttons of his shirt. “So if that’s it, I’m going to be late.” He couldn’t see Bruce perk up, or the serious line of his lips, but he knew it happened. He knew the man well enough.

“Update me in the morning.”

“Yeah, sure thing. Don’t tell me to, you know, enjoy my date or anything.”

“It’s business, Dick.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t have fun?” Dick grinned, kidding, but Bruce still sounded serious.

“Just let me know.” The line went dead, and Dick sighed, setting his phone back on his nightstand.

“Yeah, bye to you too.”

*

Damian woke up the next morning to the feeling of little paws walking along his back. He pressed his face deeper into his pillow for a minute, before a small paw was swatting at the back of his head, another set kneading against his shoulders- and one small body settling at the small of his back.

“Okay,” he whispered, pushing up carefully, dislodging the kittens. The sprawled out on his bed, looking at him expectantly, before scurrying off, leaping off the bed fearlessly the bound around the room. Off on his desk, sitting next to his laptop, Alfred watched with the angry, aged eyes of a cat that simply did _not_ have time between naps to deal with kittens. Damian swung his legs over his bed, rubbing his eyes for a minute before stretching, getting up and padding towards the door, to get the animals breakfast.

Damian missed Bruce somehow, the teen disappearing to shower when he appeared to get a mug of coffee and head out to the office. Some days, Damian didn’t see him until patrol that evening. Bruce disappeared to make an appearance at the office, and Damian settled in to cram his schoolwork. The perk of being a rich boy, he managed to get away with online classes. He hadn’t been overly thrilled at the idea of sitting in a room crammed with fellow students. Too much interaction.

Bruce had been more then willing to not have to deal with the consequences of Damian being in said situation.

He was settled on one of the couches, book in hand, that early evening, when the door to the manor opened. He heard it in the distance, heard the voices- two. Too far away to know exactly who, they were speaking too low. At his feet, Titus lifted his head, but didn’t stand.

Must not be anyone strange, then.

He continued reading his book, even as the voices grew louder, coming his way. He needed to get this done, and preferably before patrol that evening. He didn’t like the idea of coming back, only to have to sit up for hours more, finishing a book on something he wasn’t even _interested_ in. He’d be glad when this whole college thing was done. He had other important matters.

He was pulled back from his thoughts when an arm hooked down over his collar bone, and Dick was leaning over the couch, staring over into his book. “Whatcha reading, little D?” Damian clicked his tongue, a soft _tt_ , and thought to shrug his shoulders, to remove Dick from his person.

Instead, he let him cling.

“Nothing of interest,” he admitted, and Dick frowned.

“Aw, well, I guess that’s good, because I’ve got plans for us!” Dick let go of him, walking around and carefully stepping over Titus, flopping down on the couch next to him. “I’m thinking we start with that Godzilla movie that came out, you know, always good to start with giant lizards. Devour a few pizzas, pop in Pacific Rim-“

“Grayson, what are you rambling on about?”

“ _Movie night_ , little D. Just you and me. I mean, unless Bruce wants in for a while. But you and me. It’s been way too long.” He grinned, and Damian made a point to look away, to stare back down at his book. He could feel his pulse elevating, ever so slightly, and tried to remind himself there was no rational reason for it.

“I do not have time for that,” he finally said, “I have to finish this book. And father and I will be leaving for patrol-“

“Bruce gave you the night off,” Dick said, still grinning. “You’re already in the clear. And hey, just read the conclusion of the book. You’ll get all you need. So c’mon, veggie supreme right? I’m ordering now.” Dick was pulling his phone out, already on the website, and Damian heaved a sigh, shutting his book rather dramatically.

“You seem to leave me no choice.”

“That’s the spirit!” Dick sprawled back, tapping on his phone, and Damian stood up, leaving to go put the book in his room. He hadn’t even reached the stairs when he found Bruce, coming down them.

“Grayson tells me you do not want me on Patrol tonight.”

“You need a night off,” Bruce said, raking a hand back through his hair. “Spend some time with him. You can’t spend everyday locked up here, alone.”

“It has worked well thus far.” Bruce sighed.

“Look just humor him, okay? Jason is coming into town, he’ll keep me company.”

“Todd isn’t fully adequate. But you could have done worse and called Drake.” Bruce glared at Damian, frowning.

“I’m not listening to this, Damian. Lay off, or I’ll sideline you all week.” Bruce brushed past him, and Damian shrugged a shoulder, continuing up to his room to toss the book onto his desk. He took a moment to change out of his jeans, into a pair of grey sweatpants, before heading back downstairs. He found Dick no longer sprawled on the couch, but leaning over one of the larger plush chairs in the room, making little noises at the pile of sleeping kittens he had found.

“Can’t hate me if you’re sleeping,” he teased, and Damian furrowed his brow.

“Are you attempting a conversation?” Dick turned, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

“Uh. No. Of course not.” He shrugged a shoulder, before turning, stepping closer to the television and crouching down. “So the pizza should be like, a half hour. I’m popping in Godzilla. You’ll dig it, I promise. Giant monsters. Destroying cities. Cool shit.”

Damian clicked his tongue, his _tt_ , and flopped down on the couch, not believing Dick for a moment. Titus glanced between the two, before getting up, lumbering out of the room, and leaving Damian with absolutely no company except his almost-brother. He had one leg casually thrown over the arm of the couch when Dick walked back, settling in and resting his arm up above the cushion, starting the movie.

Damian was more or less following the movie when the pizzas arrived- and he could only stare and wonder how much Dick truly intended to eat. He didn’t bother to help him, let Dick hunt down plates- which he was shocked Dick even bothered with- and settle everything off on a small coffee table.

It could have been worse, if Damian was honest, the evening. The movies weren’t _terrible_ , and he could admit that sometimes, Dick’s commentary was enjoyable. That maybe it wasn’t bad to have him settled on the couch next to him. Almost like when he was a kid, and the four of them would stay up all night, when Bruce sidelines them all for an evening. Those nights had dwindled, stopped entirely- as everyone moved on.

Maybe, in a weaker state, Damian might have admitted to himself that he did miss them. Slightly.

He wasn’t sure what was on the television now. It was dark outside, had been dark for quite some time. The majority of his pizza was gone- Dick had actually started eating a second one, and Damian really had no idea where he stored it in his body. He seemed though, at this point, satiated, and was more focused on the movie on the screen.

By now, the kittens were up from their nap, chasing each other around the room. The little grey one jumped up onto the couch, pawing her way right onto Damian’s belly and settling in, looking up at him. He reached down, trying to hold in a yawn as he scratched behind her ear. Faintly, he could hear the other two, their little claws digging into the carpet as they ran.

He was still petting the kitten when he felt it, that itch at the back of his neck because someone was watching him. He glanced over at Dick, who was openly staring. “What?” he asked, frowning.

“Did you name them yet?” he was smiling, and Damian made a point to not look at him, pretending to be more interested in the kitten in his lap.

“Yes.”

Dick waited a second, before waving his hand. “Okay? Sooo, they are...?”

Damian rolled his eyes. “The orange tiger is Micah, the orange and white is Lana, and this,” he said, scratching right under the kitten’s chin, “is Sasha.”

Dick grinned, reaching out, ruffling Damian’s hair, who huffed out his breath, annoyed. “Cute,” he said. “Did you have help with the names?”

“Pennyworth was more or less involved in all of it.” Dick was sure it leaned far more towards the _more_ side. “But his suggestions were adequate.” The other two kittens appeared, jumping up onto the couch and crawling onto Damian was well, all three attempting to nuzzle his hand, pawing at it. Damian watched for a minute, before glancing back at Dick, whose grin seemed so large it might split his face. “ _What_?”

“Just. It’s cute.” He shrugged a shoulder. “You’re pretty precious sometimes kid.” Damian felt heat rising to his cheeks, and made a point to look away. Then, in a rush, sat up, gathering all three kittens into his arms and standing. “Hey, you don’t have to-“

“I’m putting them to bed,” he said, making quick strides to get out of the room, and pointedly, away from Dick. He took the stairs two at a time, aware of the kittens kneading at his shirt, and managed to open his door. He closed it with his hip, leaning back against it and heaving a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment.

He didn’t blush. As a _rule_ he did not, not at this age. That nonsense had been rare enough when he was a child, but now? It should not even be a reaction. To anything.

Especially not Dick insinuating that something involving him was _cute_.

And definitely not because of that idiot’s smile. _Definitely_.

Taking another breath, Damian pushed off his door, walking across the room and bending down to settle the kittens into a plush bed he had had Alfred pick up. The three of them pawed around, looking as if they might jump right out- before settling in.

Damian took a second to rake his hands back his hair, trying to collect himself. He didn’t feel like himself, felt almost twitchy. Which was definitely _not_ normal. He was far too controlled for this. But his pulse felt elevated, slightly. In a way it used to-

He stopped himself. No, he would not think about the way his heart used to hammer, a few years ago, in the height of his teenage years. The way it used to go wild when he’d see Dick, whether he was flying through Gotham in full costume or showing up at the Manor in jeans. Whether he was speaking to someone, or actually staring right into Damian.

He heaved a sigh, fisting his hands for a minute. Silly, whatever it had been. He had told himself at that age, at fifteen when he had been perhaps a little too curious, too intrigued by his former Batman. Perhaps a bit too interested.

He had thought he had gotten over that foolishness. Three years later, though, and he had no explanation for the fact that he felt the need to remove himself from Dick’s presence, because the man had used such a simpleton's endearing term. _Cute_.

Damian was not cute.

Another breath, and he walked back to his door, opening it. Alfred rushed in past his feet, heading straight for the kitten’s bed and crawling in- seeming to have come around, if only for the fact that he now he three little bodies to keep him warm at night. Damian left them, heading back downstairs, composed by the time he was back in the dark room, where Dick sat, entranced by the TV. He settled back on the couch, leaning onto the arm away from Dick, who glanced at him, then back at the movie.

“All good in cat land?” He nodded, trying to distract him with the images on the television. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, or even what film this was, but there was a rather large amount of destruction going on to a cramped city- which meant it would only be one of _thousands_ of films. Still, he could almost fall into it, except that suddenly Dick had a hand around his ankle, tugging him. Damian slid down on the couch slightly, glaring down at him.

“What the hell, Grayson?”

“Come back over here,” he almost whined. Damian raised an eyebrow, then, with his countless heavy sigh of the night, shifted, so that he was leaning into the curve of Dick’s side, his legs thrown out towards the opposite arm of the couch. Dick grinned, his arm going around his shoulder, squeezing. “There, better. Now it’s really like old times.”

Except that Damian wasn’t ten anymore.

Except that he was inches taller then Dick with one hell of a pretty face.

Except that really, Dick had probably noticed one too many times just how _good_ Damian looked now, but he could ignore it. He was getting good at it.

Damian, on the other hand, couldn’t ignored that, this close, he could smell Dick’s soap, the scent of his skin, the laundry soap he had used on his tshirt. Couldn’t help but relax against him, because he always _had_ , even as a kid.

Especially as a kid.

Dick was warm, and without much thought, Damian shifted closer, reaching up to stifle a yawn. He’d been up early, despite Patrol the night prior, and he was rather comfortable, as he was.

They were barely into the next film, when it faded into the background, and Damian slipped into sleep.

Dick didn’t notice, at first. Sure, he noticed each time Damian shifted closer, gave him the occasional squeeze. He really did like cuddling with the kid, even if he was sure Damian would have scoffed at the idea. Would not have called what they were doing _cuddling_. He didn’t think Damian hated it as much as he let on, either.

He was about to comment on the movie, glancing over at Damian, and the words died in his throat. The boy was fast asleep, leaning into him, nestled into the side of his chest. Dick’s mouth curved into the softest of smiles, and his arm around Damian reached up, brushing some of his hair back.

He’d wait until the movie ended to wake him up. Not that he particularly wanted to, but he was pretty damn sure he couldn’t carry him to his room, like he could eight years ago.

It was startling, how time changed things.

When the end credits finally ended, the television screen going black, Dick shifted, his arm squeezing around Damian. “Hey,” he whispered, getting no response. He leaned over, pressing his mouth into Damian’s hair- could smell his shampoo, couldn’t help the way it made his stomach tie in knots. He was sure that was definitely not the reaction he should be having. “Little D,” he whispered, giving him another squeeze. The boy shifted, scrunching up his face for a minute before opening his eyes, blinking into the darkness. “Hey kiddo. You passed out on me.”

Damian was quiet for a second, and Dick mosty expected him to throw his arm up, pull away to the other end of the couch. Instead, after a moment, he simply pressed in closer, yawning. “Which movie is next?”

Dick felt his heart thud once, against his ribs. He swallowed. “Nothing. Probably time for bed kid. It’s late, and if you’re falling asleep on me, you obviously need some sleep.” Damian finally pulled away, sitting up and stretching, arms up over his head. It was dark, but Dick could see the muscles along his arms pulling, the ones working at his shoulders, beneath his tshirt. It definitely wasn’t an observation he was sure he needed to be making.

“Will you be staying?” Dick stared for a second. He hadn’t thought about it- hadn’t planned out driving home in the middle of the night. Granted, it wasn’t like he didn’t crash at the Manor from time to time- wasn’t like his room wasn’t always waiting for him.

Part of him didn’t want to go to his room though. He wanted to crawl right in bed with Damian, curl up around him. It was startling, how nice it was to have the kid pressed against him when he was asleep.

He kept referring to him as a kid, as if he was trying to make that a reality. Truth was, he _wasn’t_. Not anymore.

“Nah,” Dick finally said, standing up. He stretched himself, making sure to look away. “Alfie doesn’t need to deal with me in the morning. I’ll just hike on home.” He turned, found Damian was _watching_ him. And for a second, Dick was sure it was the kind of look that was taking layers off him, clothing and skin and muscle, down to bone. He nearly shivered.

Damian finally stood up from the couch, silently nodding, moving to actually pick up the room. Dick wondered if he was alright.

*

Damian needed to do something. He still felt drowsy, wanted to burrow back into Dick and fall back asleep. And that wasn’t alright. Hell, he had openly watched him stretch, the way muscle worked along bone, had wanted to see it without his stupid tshirt in the way. That wasn’t alright, either.

It was so far from it.

The pizza boxes gave him something to hold onto. Something to do with his hands. He had this nasty desire to fist them in Dick’s tshirt, or better yet, touch his feathery hair. His _stupid feathery hair_.

“Take these with you,” he said, shoving the boxes towards Dick, who took them with a casual shrug. He needed to get him to leave. He needed him to _right now_. Before he asked him anything else stupid. Was he _staying_.

Had it been an invitation?

He walked Dick to the door, waited for him to open it, before shuffling the pizza box off to him, everything that was left crammed in the one. Dick took it with one of his sheepish smiles.

“You know, I can’t hug you while holding this.” Damian scoffed, knowing that was the point. He was free of possible physical contact-

Except Dick set the box on the ground, openly throwing his arms around Damian and pulling him into a hug. Damian kept his arms firmly at his sides, staring off into the dark outside, over Dick’s shoulder. Even as those hands clutched at his tshirt. Even as Dick’s face pressed down into his shoulder.

“Thanks for humoring me,” Dick whispered, and Damian felt his heart skip one beat. Perhaps he would simply go into cardiac arrest, and this would all be over.

A moment later, and he felt his hands twitch. He sighed, reaching up, his own arms loosely locking around Dick, as he lowered his head, rested it on his shoulder. The older man squeezed him tighter. If the man joked about it, he would counter that he was simply only _humoring him_ still.

Not that he was enjoying how warm Dick was. Or the fact that he smelled almost like a woman, whatever soap he enjoyed was far too fruity. Or the fact that he wanted Dick’s hands to be rubbing along his spine, that if he turned his head slightly, his mouth could press directly to Damian’s neck.

Those were definitely none of the reasons Damian had indulged him in the embrace.

Damian pulled away a moment later, and Dick followed suit. He gave him one more dazzling smile, before he stooped to grab the pizza box and was off, into the night.

Damian wouldn’t admit he waited at the door, until his car was a blink of headlights in the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

Damian let his breath escape him, arching as that pretty mouth worked it’s way down his abdomen, stopping to tease one of his heavier scars with a knowing tongue, before continuing down his navel. He felt hands on his waist, cupping his sides and holding him still, so that he couldn’t thrust his hips up. The ache between his thighs was unbearable.

That mouth dipped down, pressing into the dark curls that dusted around his cock, and Damian manged to push himself up enough to look down his body, to see Dick’s pretty blue eyes staring up at him, a smirk on his pink lips. He turned, staring up at Damian still, letting his lips press to the side of his cock, and Damian exhaled, the breath ending in a shake.

Dick mouthed his way up to the head of his cock, one hand cradling it, still holding Damian’s gaze as he opened his mouth, slowly taking him in-

Damian groaned, hips pushed up off his head as his eyes snapped open. For a moment, he had no sense of himself, of where he even was. His hands grasped at his sheets, his toes curling- before he realized that he was in fact alone, in bed, tangled up in his blanket.

He groaned again, this time frustrated, felt his cock aching beneath his boxer briefs. Heaving his breath, he closed his eyes again, one hand pressing to his belly, slipping beneath the waist band of his underwear and grasping himself. He stroked up once, nearly shuddering, so hard he truly did _hurt_. Behind his eyes, he drew up that picture of Dick again, mouthing at his cock, his hair dusting against Damian’s inner thigh.

His pretty blue eyes, staring right up at him. Like he could simply devour him.

Damian sucked his lower lip into his mouth, stifling the little noises that were in his throat. For someone who was silent except for speech, except for thought out reactions, he found it hard to keep quiet when he thought of Dick like this.

This wasn’t the first time, or the first dream. But it had been a while- and the relapse should have been startling. But in that moment he was too wrapped up in the way his hand was Dick’s mouth inside his mind, how when his thumb passed over the head of his cock, it was Dick’s tongue.

He imagined Dick would moan around him. The man was never silent, there was no way he could suck him off and _not_ make noise. Damian’s teeth dug into his lip, the pressure at the base of his spine building. He tightened his fist, stroking faster, and then, with the idea that as he thrust up, he drove deeper over Dick’s tongue, he came, a little gasp escaping through his teeth.

Damian relaxed then, muscles going slightly limp. He wiped his hand on the inside of his underwear, before pulling it free, the other going up to over his eyes, his breaths coming quickly.

He hadn’t just done that.

He hadn’t _dreamed that_ and then knowingly gotten off to the idea of Dick sucking him off.

Except that he _had_ , and it wasn’t the first time. His subconscious had been good, as of late- but it seemed being thrown into spending time with the man the night prior had kick started something in him he had thought he was over.

He was till regaining his breath when there was a sudden knock at his door. Damian went rigid for a moment, before rolling onto his head, facing away from the door, pulling the blanket up around his chest. “What?” he called, heard the door open, knew by the rhythm of the steps that it was his father walking in. Great. _Just great_.

He didn’t roll over, didn’t turn to face Bruce, simply asked, “What do you want, father?” His bed dipped slightly as Bruce sat on the edge.

“How did you enjoy your movies with Dick?” Damian scoffed, was sure Bruce was frowning. Then, in a moment of weakness- he could blame his disrupted orgasmic buzz, or the fact that he felt he hadn’t fully woken up yet-

“It was satisfactory.” Bruce smiled at him.

“Good. You need to spend some time with other people. Being locked up here alone isn’t good.” Damian rolled his eyes, clutching at his blanket as he heard the sounds of little footsteps. Bruce’s entrance had woken up the kittens, who had jumped right into the first game of chase for the morning. Sasha had, however, chosen instead to walk over to the bed, jumping up and sinking her claws into Damian’s blanket, making her way to the top, and prancing right into Bruce’s lap as if she owned him. He reached down to pet her without a single thought.

“I spend enough time with _people_ during Patrol.”

“That’s not the same.” Bruce sighed. “I worry about you, sometimes.” He looked down at the kitten, then carefully lifted her, setting her on the bed and standing up. “Come downstairs for breakfast. Tell me about the movies.”

“I need to shower.” Damian didn’t roll over, simply wanted his father to go. His underwear were cold, sticky now, and he wanted to scald himself with hot water and try to _forget_ that he had just pictured Dick between his legs. Bruce frowned, but said nothing, making his way out of the room and closing the door behind him.

*

Damian pushed it from his thoughts, for the day. The image of Dick staring up at him, the stretch of his mouth. He tucked it away and busied himself until it was all but forgotten. Patrol that evening proved to give him plenty more to think about, and satiated any need for activity his mind had.

In fact, the next day, Damian felt almost normal again. Until, around lunch, the door to the Manor opened again. He did not bother to look up from his sketch book, his feet tucked up on the couch, under the opposite cushion. He was in the midst of a picture of Sasha, who at the time, was settled on the opposite arm of the couch, watching intently out the far window. Damian didn’t think she really saw anything other then light on the window, but it kept her still enough.

He was only dragged from his thoughts when, suddenly, Dick was leaning over the back of the couch, right into his space, looking at his sketchbook. “Hey little D. Whatcha doing?”

“Grayson!” He jerked his sketchbook away, but a moment too slow- Dick had grabbed it, plucking it from his hands and looking at it. “Would you give that back?”

“You got pretty good,” he mused, “Lemme guess, this whole thing is gonna be filled with these three?” Damian said nothing, snatching it back, frowning, and Dick’s smile faded. “Okay, okay, sorry. Didn’t mean to make you feel self conscious or anything.” He walked around the couch, flopping down next to Damian, and the boy felt the gentle wait against his toes. He didn’t pull his legs back. On the arm of the couch, Sasha was watching Dick now, before prancing happily onto his lap, sitting down and staring up at him, demanding attention. “These little brats are cute,” he mused, petting her. “Like you.”

Damian rolled his eyes, felt the warmth in his cheeks again. No, he would _not_ go through with this again. It was simply ridiculous, the reaction he was having.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, finally, as Sasha turned and scampered from Dick’s lap, off to find her siblings in the Manor, or perhaps Alfred. The kittens seemed to take a joy in harassing the other cat.

“Can I just stop to say hi?” Dick grinned.

“You could have forewarned me. I would have become occupied.” Dick laughed.

“You never text me back. So what’s the point?” He threw his arms up over the back of the couch, tipping his head back. Damian watched the way his throat moved as he swallowed, ran his tongue along the edges of his own teeth. Wanted his mouth there. _Badly_.

Dick was _talking_ , he realized, and somehow, he had missed part of it. “-maybe we can all get dinner or something. Been a long time since the four of us were together.”

Oh. Just musing about _brotherly bonding_. Damian didn’t feel worried about anything he could have missed on that. Instead he curled his toes under the couch cushion, saw a flash of Dick in his mind again, licking at the scar on his belly-

Oh, _hell_.

“-Could be fun, you know, just to-“ Damian dropped his sketchbook off the couch, leaning forward, reaching out. He grasped the collar of Dick’s tshirt, pulling the man forward. He was mid word when he turned to Damian, and suddenly they _stopped_ , Damian’s mouth covering Dick’s and silencing him.

He tasted like mint, Damian mused, faintly. Probably had been munching candy on the drive over. Damian moved his lips, Dick completely still beneath him. He tilted his head, slightly, sliding his mouth along Dick’s again, and Dick’s hands flexed, arms falling down from the couch, reaching for Damian-

Finding his waist and _gripping him_. Damian’s other hand reached up, grabbed Dick’s shoulder, as the older man moved his mouth finally, kissed Damian back. He released his hold on Dick’s collar, hand moving back along his neck, fingers sinking into his hair. _Soft_. Exactly like Damian had hoped, thought, knew from the times it had brushed him before.

The hands on his waist tightened as he tugged gently, twisting it around his fingers. Dick’s mouth opened, a little groan escaping him, and Damian took advantage of it, pressing his tongue into Dick’s mouth, running it along his. For a brief second, Dick let him, before those hands were pushing him back, pulling Damian away from his mouth.

“Wha-“ he started, and Damian frowned. “What was _that_?” Damian clicked his tongue.

“I would assume you would recognize a kiss, Grayson.” Dick stared at him, balked openly.

“Uh. Well. Yeah. But.” He was stammering, and Damian found it obnoxious and oddly endearing. His pulse was inside his own head, heart running from that long awaited contact. He couldn’t explain the odd fluttery twisting in his belly. “But. You uh. You kissed me.”

“You are stating the obvious.” Damian smiled a little, leaning in, and Dick pushed him at the last second.

“Woah! Okay, Damian, I think you need to-“ he stopped as Damian’s fingers twisted in his hair, tugging gently, whatever words he was going to say forgotten entirely, let out as a simple exhale.

“I need to what, Grayson?” Dick didn’t say anything for a moment, before muttering,

“ _Aw hell_ ,” and pulling Damian in, kissing him. Damian felt his breath choke in his throat, refused to let Dick see that he was taken off guard, and instead kissed him back, this far more intense then the first. Dick’s hands released his waist, arms locking around it instead, holding Damian close. The younger man tugged on his hair, pushing himself up above Dick as his head was tipped back, mouth opening again.

This time, when his tongue ran along Dick’s, he wasn’t pushed away. This time, his tongue pushed back, and Damian decided he had _definitely_ been eating mints right before he had arrived. Dick and his need for sugar, his silly slight oral fixation-

Not something Damian needed to think about in that moment.

Damian pulled back, only a breath, enough to drag his teeth along Dick’s lower lip. The older man groaned as Damian pulled away, his eyelids dropping down, heavy. There was the slightest flush to his cheeks, and Damian thought, for a second, there might be one on his own. His skin felt heated.

“That,” Dick started, “shouldn’t have happened.”

“You are not convincing, Grayson.” Dick licked his lips, and Damian had the urge to suck on his tongue. The arms around his waist loosened, and Dick pulled back then, reaching up to push Damian back, hands on his chest.

“Really,” he offered, “That. I.” He shook his head. “Definitely not.” Damian furrowed his brows.

“Why not?”

“You’re a _kid_ ,” Dick offered, and knew it was a weak excuse. Because Damian _wasn’t_. That kiss was proof.

“I ceased to be a _child_ on my last birthday,” Damian countered, annoyed because it seemed everything always came down to his _age_. “Although I was not a child prior to that. I’m far more capable then it seems anyone else in this family is.”

Dick groaned. “Oh _god_ don’t say family. You’re like my little brother. Oh _god_.” He tried to push Damian farther away, and Damian conceded, falling back into his original position on the couch. Instead of pressing his toes beneath the cushion, however, he pressed them beneath Dick’s thighs.

“There’s no blood between us.”

“ _Doesn’t matter_. You just. You can’t do that. I can’t do that.” He shrugged a shoulder, rather tired already of Dick’s excuses. They were not shocking, but he found them all simply trivial and irrelevant.

“We just did,” Damian offered. “And we could be, again, if you would stop talking.” Dick whipped his head around, staring at him.

“Are you not listening to me?” He pushed himself off the couch, pacing a few steps, turning to pace back. Barely walking the entire length of the couch. “Damian, you’re my little brother. You’re so much _younger_ then me. Goddamn you are Bruce’s _son_.”

He stopped in front of him, arms at his sides, palms out, as if he was exposed, surrendered, waiting for Damian to agree. The boy only looked up at him, at those pretty eyes and the way that being so _upset_ had only made Dick’s cheeks pinker.

“I’m your _Robin_ ,” he added, and watched those pretty blue eyes flash, to something dark, something that had his belly in knots. And then Dick was leaning over him, one hand pressing into the couch cushion, the other behind his head, in his hair, forcing him to look up as Dick’s mouth covered his, this kiss hard, almost _desperate_. It felt as if Dick wanted the very breath in his lungs.

Damian shivered, couldn’t _stop_ it, couldn’t keep Dick’s tongue from pressing into his mouth, from testing the points of his teeth. Couldn’t stop the way the room turned to silence, with only the wet sounds of their mouths.

When Dick pulled back, this time it was Damian’s eyes that were half lidded. Dick stared down at him, breathing against his mouth.

“This isn’t happening again,” he whispered, before he pulled back entirely, walking out of the room as quickly as he could. Damian sat there, listened to his footsteps across the floors, the gentle opening of the door- and then the loud slamming of it.

For a moment, he simply stared off, across the room, at nothing. Didn’t really _see_ anything, except the way Dick had _looked_ at him, the way he had appeared like a hungry animal, for the briefest of moments.

The smallest of smiles quirked at the corner of his mouth. Perhaps there was no reason to think his desires would have gone entirely unrequited. In fact, he was positive that they would be quite equally returned, if he simply convinced Dick of all the reasons his excuses were _wrong_.

*

Dick paced his apartment, phone and keys thrown on his kitchen counter. He raked his hands back through his hair, tugging gently. That hadn’t happened. That definitely _hadn’t happened_.

Damian hadn’t kissed him. He hadn’t kissed him back. This was a bad dream. The good kind of bad dream, the kind you could get into, when you were sleeping.

He groaned, shaking his head. This wasn’t okay. Damian was like his little brother. Didn’t matter that technically he wasn’t a kid anymore. Definitely didn’t look like one. Didn’t matter that he was taller then Dick now, and did have Bruce’s stunning eyes, and his voice had taken that deep turn, and-

Dick was ready to punch a hole in his apartment wall.

“Fucking get a hold of yourself,” he muttered. This was _Damian_. He could _not_ be attracted to Damian. No way. It was wrong.

At least- he couldn’t _act_ on it.

Dick considered getting a beer from his fridge. Hell, he considered going out and buying a goddamn _thirty two pack_ and simply waking up in a few days. That sounded like a good idea.

But he had work to do, he knew. As much as he wanted to pass out and simply forget- because Damian’s mouth had moved so smoothly, because his fingers in his hair and sparked just the right nerves, because he had felt so goddamn _right_ \- he wasn’t about to push off his obligations. Especially to Bruce.

Oh god, Bruce was _not_ the person he needed to think about in that moment.

*

Damian had texted Dick that night, before patrol. A simple _come out_. He had never gotten a response. Which, he supposed was fine- not that he needed Dick as a distraction on the streets, but he would have loved the chance to taunt the older man. If Dick’s response to the kiss had indicated anything, Damian knew now, upon clearer thinking, it was that the man was harboring the same sort of physical desire.

He did not hear from Dick the next day either, and finally decided that if he was going to get Dick back to the Manor anytime soon, he would need _help_.

The help simply couldn’t know the reasons.

“Father,” he said, peeking into Bruce’s office. The man hadn’t gone into the city today, and sat instead working away silently. Bruce glanced up, then back at his computer.

“What do you need, Damian?” Damian clicked his tongue. Of course his father would not believe he had simply come in without a request. It did, however, save him useless banter.

“I want the night off from patrol,” he said, “And I want you to ask Grayson to come keep me company.” Bruce quirked up an eyebrow, ceased his typing and closed his laptop, staring at Damian.

“Did you ask Dick yourself?” Damian shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“I did not see the point in asking until I knew you would not need me. You can ask Todd again. That seemed to go well.” Bruce glanced away for a moment, and if Damian were not concentrated on his own dilemma, he might have wondered _why_. As it was, the only thing on his mind was getting Dick to the Manor, and getting to be alone with him.

The rest, he could make up as he went.

“You can have the night off,” Bruce conceded, easily- after all, he was the one that had first said Damian needed to socialize. Would always be one of the first to say it, had been for so many years. “But you’ll have to ask Dick yourself.”

“Fair enough.” Damian left without another word, Bruce watching him with curious eyes.

*

Dick had just gotten out of the shower when he heard his phone going off. He walked into his bedroom, in just his towel, picking it up and seeing a message from Damian.

_You are coming over tonight_. He quirked an eyebrow up. Was Damian actually asking to see him? Sure, he had sent that one message, telling him to come out on Patrol- but that was _patrol_. And Dick might have gone, despite the incident- except he had been preoccupied.

Damian’s mouth flashed in his memory again, and he sighed. No, he couldn’t, not yet. _Not tonight_ he sent back, thinking that would be enough.

Until his phone was going off before he could even set it down.

_I have already told father I will not be on Patrol and to expect you._ Well, _fuck_. That complicated things. What could he tell Bruce as an excuse for ditching Damian? Nothing, that he could think about. He was the one that had been popping in recently, trying to spend time with the kid. And Bruce knew he didn’t have plans tonight- tell, Bruce knew all about his _plans_ recently, having a solid hand in them.

He was back into a corner.

Slumping his shoulders, Dick finally sent Damian, _Fine_ , and tossed his phone onto his bed, deciding he would ignore it until he decided he was mentally prepared enough to go over to the Manor.

He definitely couldn’t think about what it had been like to kiss Damian. Just like he definitely hadn’t thought about it in the shower, and nearly stroked himself to orgasm.

At least he’d come to and stopped himself _before_ he came. Except now, on top of this, he had that unsatisfied _buzz_ in his body, and no one to blame but himself.

*

Damian spent his time waiting for Dick to arrive in a mild state of unrest. _Mild_ putting it lightly, not that he would admit it. He would begin one task- reading for a class that seemed trivial in that moment, only to give up part way through and begin something else. Finally, exasperated because Dick was taking _too long_ , and that he was so affected by it, he took Titus outside, the dog’s favorite obnoxiously orange tennis ball in hand.

He faintly heard Dick’s car pull up, more so the slam of the door. He had the ball in hand, and Titus let out a loud _bark_ , as if needing to alert Dick as to where they were. Damian tossed the ball, the large dog chasing after it, and waited, watching Titus and not behind him.

He heard Dick’s gentle footsteps along the grass, even as he accepted the ball back from Titus, tossing it again and wiping his hand on the thigh of his jeans. By now, Dick was nearly behind him.

“So,” he said, without a greeting, “What did you want?” Damian glanced over his shoulder, then turned back, accepting the ball from Titus and throwing it again.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’ve been _busy_.” It was a half-lie, and it was _obvious_. Both knew it. Dick cursed himself that it wasn’t more believable. Damian clicked his tongue, turning around now, taking the two steps towards Dick and closing the gap between them. Dick shrank back, slightly.

“No. You have been avoiding me. It is childish, Grayson.” Dick pursed his lips, wasn’t sure what to say, and Damian reached up, gripping his open jacket, thumbs running along the material. “You were the one who wanted my company to start.”

“Yeah well, you’re the one that _kissed me_.” Damian frowned for a second, gripping Dick’s jacket tighter.

“And if I did it again?”

Dick tensed, eyes wide. Damian had glanced away from him, had the slightest color to his cheeks. Barely noticeable over the tan of his skin, but Dick could tell, this close. A ridiculous mingling of painfully handsome and simply _cute_ that he couldn’t comprehend how the kid achieved.

“I,” Dick started, but had no words to even give him. What _would_ he do? Push him away, right? _Right_?

Damian could see it in his eyes, the confusion, and tugged on his jacket, forcing Dick to bend closer, tilting his head slightly and pressing his mouth over his. There was the briefest of moments where Dick simply did _nothing_ , before his arms were wrapping around Damian, pulling him in tighter, clutching at the back of his shirt. It didn’t last, a few heavy slides of the lip, and then Damian was leaning back, just enough, and Dick could feel him breathing against his lip.

“We can’t keep doing that,” Dick whispered, even as his eyes glanced down at Damian’s lips. Even as he wanted to kiss him again. Even as he had a sweet pulse running through his body that made him want to have his hands all over Damian, slide them right up under his shirt, press his mouth to his neck. Even as his ribs felt a few sizes too small.

“Why not?” Damian whispered. “If you cite my age, Grayson, I will have you on the ground before you blink.”

“I am so much _older_ then you-“ Dick was cut off when Damian pulled him in, kissing him again. This time there was no hesitation as he kissed back, giving a little sound as Damian sucked on his lower lip.

“It is irrelevant,” he added, against Dick’s mouth. And while Dick should have known he was in no position to make any sort of decision, couldn’t have thought clearly if his life depended on it, he simply closed his eyes for a second, swallowing.

“It’s not,” he finally said, opening his eyes. Finding Damian’s staring right into him. “But- aw, _hell_.” He tightened his hold on Damian’s shirt, kissing him again, leaning the man back slightly. Damian wouldn’t admit it, but he’d been caught slightly off guard, his lips opening slightly, giving Dick the chance to run his tongue along his lower lip, before pressing inside. He exhaled shakily through his nose, tried to push closer to the man, wanted to be flush against him.

Dick was pulling away too soon, and Damian tried to follow, tried to drag him back into a kiss. But Dick was shaking his head, leaning in and brushing his nose against Damian’s.

The color that rose in Damian’s cheeks was _definitely_ noticeable.

“Grayson, what-“ he started, and Dick cut him off-

“Humor me,” he whispered, “and actually watch a movie with me, okay? I think I need to process for a minute. Or an hour.” Damian rolled his eyes, releasing his hold on Dick’s jacket, managing to step back from him, as Titus bumped against his thigh, having been waiting patiently with his tennis ball.

“Fine,” Damian said, taking the ball from the dog and turning, tossing it.

Mostly to keep Dick from seeing the small quirk in his lips. The smile he couldn’t fight down, despite himself.

*

If Damian were to be asked, he would say he did _attempt_ to oblige Dick, and keep to himself through the whole film. Really. But it was dull and about forty minutes in, he found he was instead leaning into the arm of the couch, studying Dick’s profile instead. In the flashing lights of the television and nothing else, the shadows along his cheekbones, under his eyes seemed stark. Seemed to make him glow.

He had his legs stretched out over Dick’s lap, the older man idly rubbing one of his calves. The initial touch had been cause for a brief moment of distraction, a strange fluttering of excitement that didn’t feel _sexual_ , but affectionate. Like when Dick had rubbed his nose against Damian’s, like a child.

He had pushed that down.

But now, the touch was something he couldn’t ignore. Especially when, while he was blatantly watching Dick’s hand, it moved all the way up to his knee, slightly over, to squeeze his thigh. Damian glanced back up at Dick’s face, which had turned to him, was watching him with an amused half smile.

“You’re not watching the movie at all,” he chided, and Damian rolled his eyes.

“It’s boring. You have terrible taste.” With that he pulled his legs back, shifting and crawling right into Dick’s lap, straddling him and looking down at him, interested blue eyes and his mouth set in a neutral line. Somehow, it made Dick simply want to suck on his lower lip. Damian waited a moment, simply looking at him, before, “You’re not pushing me away.”

“No,” Dick finally breathed, reaching for his waist and pressing his hands against him. “No. I’m not. Now c’mere,” he gripped, and Damian leaned down, kissing him again. He tangled his hands in Dick’s hair, tugging, felt Dick’s teeth on his lower lip and pressed closer, opened his mouth when the older man licked at his lips.

If their previous kiss outside had been along the lines of _sweet_ , this was on the opposite spectrum. Needy in the same way it had been when Damian had told Dick he was _his Robin_. Needy in the kind of way that Damian had wanted to be kissed when he had woken up from that dream about Dick.

Needy in a way that Dick had imagined Damian kissed him, while he’d been in the shower.

Dick’s hands slid from Damian’s waist, one pressing along the curve of his spine, the other lower, cupping the swell of his ass. Damian gave a little groan, and Dick surged forward at that, drank it down, trying to grind up into him.

Damian was grinding down into him, as well. Tugging on his hair so perfectly, forcing Dick’s head back, his own teeth nipping at Dick’s lower lip. He was too _good_ at this.

“Tell me I’m not the first person you’ve kissed,” Dick breathed, when Damian finally pulled back to take a breath. Damian furrowed his brow.

“You are not,” he admitted, eyes flicking down to Dick’s lips, before returning his stare again. “I kissed Drake once.”

Well, _that_ hadn’t been what Dick expected to hear.

“You kissed Tim?” Damian simply stared at him. “ _You_ kissed _Tim_?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god. When? _Why_?” His desire was momentarily forgotten, his curiosity piqued- and he was almost thankful for it. He had pulled his hand from Damian’s ass, letting the man actually sit in his lap instead, stroking the lower end of his thigh now.

“Father’s last New Years party,” Damian admitted, sounding _bored_ having the recount. “Drake was intoxicated.”

“So you kissed him?” Damian shrugged a shoulder. “You _hate_ Tim.” Still no response. “...How was it?”

He clicked his tongue, before, “Adequate.” Damian leaned back a little, tilting his head slightly. “Sometimes Drake looks a bit like you.”

Dick hadn’t expected _that_ either. He squeezed Damian’s thigh, leaning in, pressing a soft kiss against his neck.

“Mmm, okay. So you kissed Tim because he looks kind of like me? That’s kind of cute.” He kissed again, and Damian let his head fall back, giving Dick access to his throat. “I should probably scold you for it.”

“I’m not a child that needs to be punished,” Damian whispered, even as his eyes fluttered shut. Dick’s mouth was working along his throat, his tongue flicking against copper skin, and it was making it increasingly hard for Damian to concentrate. Not that he would admit it. He felt Dick’s teeth drag against his pulse, and his breath escaped him.

“Then what do you need?” Damian groaned, couldn’t hold it in, and Dick’s hands tightened their hold on him, the one on his thigh sliding up. He hadn’t meant to ask that, Dick was sure. But the words had come out, and all he was thinking about was how good Damian’s skin felt against his lips, his teeth, how his mouth tasted. How he was _in his lap_ and really, he was too pretty for Dick to not want this.

Maybe, later, when Dick could think properly, he’d have to give some thought to the fact that he was openly thinking about _Damian as pretty_.

Damian reached down, grabbing Dick’s hand from his thigh- and maybe, somewhere in his mind there was a brief thought that what he was doing was crazy, but for the most part it was silenced by the fact that Dick was kissing him, had his hands on him, was asking him _what he wanted_ , and Damian could have sworn this was actually a dream, that he was going to wake up tangled in his sheets again, along. But he grabbed Dick’s hand none-the-less, guiding it higher, until Dick took over, pressed it between his thighs, palming at him. The boy exhaled, lifting his head, Dick’s teeth pressing into his skin- not break, but leaving little indents behind. Damian shivered.

Both Dick’s hands moved to the hem of his jeans, working open the button as he continued to lick, bite and Damian’s neck. The skin was growing sensitive, so that when Dick sucked at one spot, Damian’s hips jerked, nearly throwing Dick’s fingers from the zipper of his jeans. Dick chuckled, kissing up to his ear, sucking on his earlobe for a second.

“Okay?” he asked, pulling Damian’s jeans open, fingers tracing the waistband of his underwear. Damian swallowed the lump in his throat, nodded. He wouldn’t speak, he did not trust his voice. And that was terrifying. Dick smiled, kissing his cheek as he reached one hand into his underwear, grasping his cock and pulling it out. Damian’s breath hitched, and Dick nuzzled his cheek, his own breath rushing out as he stroked him once, slowly.

Damian was already hard. If he was honest, he was worked up to a point of frustration that was embarrassing and unacceptable, considering what had transpired was _little_. But- there was something about Dick that simply brought him to life like no other. He had never felt an attraction like this.

Dick’s thumb passed over the head of his cock, teasing his slit, spreading pre-cum along his shaft with his next stroke. Damian pushed into his hand, as Dick’s other arm wrapped around his waist, helping to steady him. He’d dropped his head back to Damian’s neck, was placing gentle kisses against his skin every few strokes. For the most part, he was simply breathing in his skin, nestling into the heat as Damian rocked with each of his strokes.

Damian reached for Dick, hands fisting in his shirt, at his shoulders, needing to hold onto something. He felt as if Dick had barely touched him, and he was ready to cum already, couldn’t keep down the little moan as Dick’s hand twisted, just under the head of his cock.

“Dami,” Dick breathed, licking at the sensitive spot he had sucked into his neck earlier, the skin darkening, red, soon to be faintly purple. Damian shuddered then, hips jerking, head falling back as his breath rushed out and he came. Dick swore he felt his muscles tensing, felt each wave of the boy’s orgasm, until Damian was relaxing into his hold, slumping down. His head lifted, tipped down, and Dick pulled away from his neck, leaning back slightly and smiling up at him. “Still okay?” he asked, almost teasing, watching Damian’s little pants, his pink lips parted, wet.

“Better then okay,” Damian finally whispered, hands moving from Dick’s shoulders, into his hair. He lets his fingers toy with the feathery locks, not tugging, simply stroking, almost _petting_ , and it was a sweet contradiction of feeling, paired with the pulsing ache Dick felt in his own cock. Dick realized, his eyes feeling almost heavy, that Damian was smiling then- small, but it was _there_ , and he wondered if the boy even realized he was doing it.

It seemed so rare, and suddenly his heart was hammering in his ribs. Damian’s smile shouldn’t have that sort of power over him.

Damian’s eyes dropped from watching his own fingers move through Dick’s hair, down along his body, before he was pulling back, the smile fading, lips going back to their characteristic half frown. “You’re a mess, Grayson.”

Dick glanced down, realized Damian was _right_. His orgasm had left sticky, now chilled, white smears all over the belly of Dick’s tshirt. He laughed, shaking his head. “Your fault,” he countered, and gave Damian’s cock a squeeze, hearing the boy’s breath rush out, before finally letting go of him. Damian reached down, tucking himself away, sliding off Dick’s lap to stand on legs that didn’t feel as steady as they should have, fixing his jeans. With a resigned sigh, Dick wiped his hand on his tshirt.

“Here,” Damian said, offering his hand. Dick took it, letting the teen pull him off the couch, leading him from the room. Dick followed Damian upstairs, to his room, glancing about nervously to make sure no one saw them. Sure, Bruce was on patrol- but god, Alfred was still there _somewhere_ -

And yet, he’d just jerked Damian off on the couch. _Oh god he’d jerked Damian off on the couch_.

“Off,” Damian said with a wave of his hand, walking over to his dresser and opening a drawer, pulling out a tshirt. He turned, watched as Dick stripped of the soiled shirt, eyes taking in each scar he could see, each curve of muscle. He didn’t realize how long he was staring, until he heard Dick clear his throat, offering a playful,

“You know little D, it’s rude to stare.” Damian head jerked up, and he clicked his tongue, tossing the shirt across the room. The action did nothing to distract Dick from the fact that Damian was blushing again, ever-so-slightly.

Dick caught the shirt, tossing his dirty one to the floor, but didn’t put it on. Damian had walked from his dresser to his bed, sat down on the edge, and furrowed his brow when he realized Dick was still half dressed. “What are you waiting for?”

“Just wanted to make sure you were done.” Damian glared now.

“Do not tease me like a child.”

“Dami, you don’t tease a _kid_ like this.” Dick pushed away from the door, walking over to the bed, dropping the shirt on the corner. He stepped between Damian’s legs, reaching down to grip his chin, tipping it up. “And you keep telling me you’re not a kid.” Dick couldn’t help himself. There was a bit of gnawing guilt in his gut, yes, but he was still _turned on_ , and catching Damian just looking at him? It made his blood run hot.

He was in deep, and he wasn’t even sure how he got in in the first place.

Dick released Damian’s chin, as much as he wanted to just stare at him, at his face that was shockingly Bruce but _not_ , that illusion shattered by the fact that he had his mother’s skin, her lips, her eyelashes.

Damn, did the kid have good genes.

A moment after he did, Damian was leaning forward, his hands going to Dick’s pants, working them open as his mouth pressed just under Dick’s ribs.

“Do you need proof, Grayson?” Dick swallowed the lump in his throat. He hadn’t just asked that. He _definitely_ hadn’t just asked that.

Aw, hell.

Dick didn’t answer, but that was enough for Damian. He managed to get Dick’s pants open, pulling his cock free as he kissed a scar that curve around Dick’s side. Dick shuddered, Damian’s hand moving quickly along him, having to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He was so on edge, so on the brink, that he worried Damian might finish him off in the next twenty seconds.

He reached down, covering Damian’s hand with his own, slowing the strokes. “Careful,” he breathed, as Damian pulled his mouth away from his skin. “Do it like that, and it’ll be over even quicker then it was for you.” Damian frowned, clicking his tongue, that disapproving _tt_.

“If that is a jab at my stamina, Grayson, I can stop right now.” Dick groaned, Damian’s hand twisting as it moved up over the head of his cock, before traveling back down.

“Please don’t,” Dick breathed, because he was pretty damn sure at this point, he’d die if Damian did stop. And he wasn’t _blaming_ the kid for having a short fuse. Hell, Dick was worked up to that same point already-

And god, _had that been the first time anyone else had ever touched him_?

Dick was dragged out from those thoughts when Damian’s teeth nipped at that same scar. His thumb was rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves at the base of the head of Dick’s cock with each stroke, making him shiver- but for some reason, he wasn’t tipping over that edge, like he _knew_ he should be.

Truth was, he wanted to be kissing Damian when he did- more then anything.

“Hold up a second,” he whispered, reaching down and taking Damian’s hand, pulling it away from him. He turned settled onto the bed next to him, leaning back into Damian’s pillows, before motioning him forward, curling his fingers and giving a half smile. Damian stared at him for a moment, before he turned, crawling over his leg, straddling one thigh.

“What are you doing, Grayson?” Dick reached out with one hand, hooked it behind Damian’s head so his fingers should sink into his short hair, and pulled him down, kissing him. He wrapped his other hand around his cock, stroking up once, groaning into Damian’s mouth. The younger man shifted, broke the kiss, furrowing his brow. “Grayson-“

“Shut up and kiss me,” Dick whispered, adding a breathy _please_ a moment later, and Damian was caving, kissing him again. He licked at Dick’s lower lip, into his mouth, as the older man continued to touch himself, hips shifting because now, _now he was so close_.

Tongue still in his mouth, Damian rocked against Dick’s thigh, and that little movement was the final push. Dick pushed up into his hand, moaning, Damian taking the sound and swallowing it down, rocking against Dick’s thigh again as the man rode out his orgasm. The kiss broke when Dick fell back, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. Damian sat back, watching him, mouth set in a line.

A few moments later, and Dick knew he had to move. His hand and belly were sticky, his cum cold now. He sat up, glancing at Damian, and offering him a smile. “Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t put that shirt on yet,” he admitted, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up, fixing his pants with one hand, and crossing the room towards Damian’s bathroom to clean up.

Damian listened to the rush of water, absentmindedly reaching down to pluck at his sheet. Dick had pushed his hand away. Had he done something wrong? Was he not satisfactory- the point that Dick had needed to take over _himself_?

Dick stepped out a minute later, walking towards the bed and grabbing the shirt, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Damian. “What’s wrong?” He tugged it over his head, heard Damian say _nothing is wrong_ , and shook his head, raking his hands through his hair after the shirt had been tugged down properly. “Oh please, I know what look. Spill.”

Damian hesitated, then, “Did I do it wrong?” Dick stared at him for a minute, before his gaze softened and he sat down next to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders and squeezing.

“Oh my god, Dami, stop.” Damian shifted, but didn’t pull away. “You _definitely_ didn’t. Just...well, maybe I really wanted to...you know.” Dick waved his free hand, “Maybe I just really wanted you kissing me when I came, is all. To the point that I wasn’t really gonna get off until it happened.” Dick blushed, looking up at the ceiling for a second. “But really, you uh...you didn’t do anything wrong. Like, fuck, Dami.”

Damian shifted- closer, actually, his thight brushing Dick’s, the strange feeling in his belly calming. Had he truly been upset about the prospect of disappointing Dick?

He couldn’t even lie to himself about that- of course he had. He may not admit it, but he lived for this man’s praise- even if he would endlessly find it trivial and stupid, most times.

“Was that the first time,” Dick started, licking his lips, “the first time you’ve done anything like that?” Damian was quiet for a moment, then,

“Of course not.” Dick turned, grabbing Damian’s shoulder and forcing him to stare at him, scrutinizing his face. A second later, and Dick was grinning.

“You’re _lying_ , little D. It totally was- oh jesus.” He reached up with his free hand, rubbing his jaw. “I’m your first-“

“Grayson, _stop_. It hardly matters.” He went to pull away, but Dick was pulling him into a hug, squeezing him tightly.

“I’m psyched over you getting some, and almost appalled that I have to be your first,” he admitted, and Damian rolled his eyes.

“Let me go and shut up. None of this matters at all.” He tried to push away, ended up sliding on the bed a little, and Dick threw himself back, sprawling out with his legs hanging over the bed, Damian falling with him. He huffed, before tossing his arm over Dick’s waist, pressing his face into Dick’s chest.

Dick smiled, as Damian gave a gentle nuzzle to his chest- as if the man might not realize he’d even done it- and simply stared up at the ceiling. “But really, that wasn’t really something you could fuck up Damian, trust me. Not with how much I thought about it.”

There was a moment of silence, before Damian lifted his head. “You _thought about it_?” Dick realized what he’d said and groaned, reaching up and smacking his hand into his forehead. “Grayson, did you-“

“Just stop Damian-“

“Have you entertained thoughts of me like that _alone_?” Dick was quiet, hiding behind his hand, and Damian could only smirk. “You’re a pervert, Grayson.” Dick groaned again, and Damian settled back down onto his chest, smiling to himself.

That was what Dick got for teasing him about stamina.

*

Dick didn’t stay late. Damian almost wanted to _ask_ him to- but at the same time, he refused to make it seem as if he wanted his attention _that_ badly. By the time they made it back downstairs, the first movie had ended. They left another on in the background, sitting on the couch in comfortable silence, instead more entertained by each little movement they made- Damian’s legs back over Dick’s lap, his hand stroking one calf. There might have been a moment where Damian considered pulling Dick down for another kiss, but it was interrupted by a line of kittens tearing into the room, all chasing a rather disgruntled Alfred, who hopped up onto the couch, then the back cushion, turning to hiss at the three.

The rest of that final movie was spent dealing with the three little furballs- although, Damian guessed from Dick’s near constant laughs that he didn’t mind, having Lana sitting on his shoulder and batting at his hair.

Damian liked when he laughed- although he would complain about it. But it lit Dick’s face up in a way that made him seem so young, even if he had so many years on Damian.

When the film finally ended, and the kittens had wondered off to find other trouble, Dick stood up, telling Damian he should go. And he hadn’t fought it, had only walked a step behind Dick, out of the room, towards the door.

“My shirt is in your room,” he pointed out, reaching the door.

“I’ll throw it in with my laundry.” Dick grimaced.

“Oh god, I don’t want Alfred washing _that_. Just...throw it out, or something.” Dick shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll uh, get this back to you.”

“It’s a shirt, I think I have plenty, Grayson.” Another shrug, and Dick reached out, pulling Damian in for a hug. Damian didn’t fight it- in fact, this time, he returned it, Dick openly pressing his face into the crook of Damian’s neck, inhaling, liking the way that Damian’s scent so so utterly subtle, skin and soap and not much else. Dick kissed his neck gently, before pulling back, kissing his lips softly, chaste.

“I’ll talk to you later,” he offered, and Damian simply nodded. Dick pulled away, turning and walking out. Damian leaned against the door, waiting him get into his car- stopping to give the boy a final wave- before he drove off, into the dark.

Damian couldn’t help but feel like this had been _different_ from the countless other times Dick had left the Manor.


	3. Chapter 3

“Did you and Dick have a good night?” Bruce asked, the next morning, sitting at the table in the smaller breakfast nook that the family used when it was simply a few of them. Mostly, just Bruce and Damian, now. He was sipping his coffee.

“Yes,” Damian admitted, sitting down opposite him, a moment later Alfred setting a cup of coffee in front of him. He sipped at it, pulling out his phone and began typing. Bruce watched for a second, then,

“Are you...talking to someone?”

“I am telling Grayson good morning,” he offered, before setting his phone down and taking another sip of his coffee. Black, exactly like Bruce’s. “How was Patrol?”

“Fine,” Bruce said, though he was still hung up on the fact that Damian was...well, being civil to Dick? Of all the family, Damian was the _most_ reasonable with Dick, but this still seemed strange. “I’ve been tracking some strange imports at the harbor-“

“I’m well aware, father. Increased amounts of chemicals, namely, those one might find in Crane’s various compounds. Was there a new lead?” Damian wasn’t looking at his father, he was staring down at his dark phone, and Bruce furrowed his brow.

“No. The imports are still being shipped for Gotham General. They have an excuse for all of them.” He paused. “But...”

He trailed off when Damian’s phone lit up, and the boy left his coffee, snatching it up and glancing at it for a moment, before his thumbs moved. Bruce swore there was a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“But I have reason to believe that those chemicals are being filtered out of the hospital inventory, and funneled elsewhere. Jason followed the van that picked them up last night- it really did go to Gotham General.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Damian, are you listening?”

“Yes father,” he offered, setting his phone aside. “Did Todd follow them inside for their delivery?”

“Yes. Everything was placed as expected.” Damian nodded.

“I will look into it tonight. I can get in without alerting staff easily-“

“Damian,” Bruce started, “I’ve...I’ve actually asked Jason to check up on it again tonight. He was...helpful last night. I’d like his help with this.” Bruce lifted his coffee quickly, taking a sip, and Damian narrowed his eyes for a minute, scrutinizing his father. As he did so, his phone lit up, Dick’s _well good morning cutie_ , which had been responded with a _You are an idiot Grayson_ , now followed by a _I’ll be an idiot if you’re cute._

“Fair enough,” Damian offered, “There are other loose ends in this case I can follow.” He lifted his phone up again, and Bruce settled back, stunned to say the least by Damian’s calm acceptance, and rather pleasant mood.

He was going to have to thank Dick for whatever he did.

*

Damian was sitting on his bed, laptop pushed to one side, books open, that afternoon when there was a knock on his door. His phone was thrown off on his pillow, had been quiet for some time. “What?” he asked, without turning around. Assumed it was Alfred, or perhaps his father. Bruce hadn’t gone into Gotham that day, and had been, last he knew, working in his study.

His door opened, then clicked closed, and he didn’t turn around, holding one book and bracketing a few sentences with a pen, needing it for a paper he was working on. He had just finished the mark when his bed dipped, and there were suddenly arms wrapping around his shoulders, and Dick leaning into his hair, glancing over his shoulder.

“Whatcha reading little D?” he asked, kissing his hair, and Damian rolled his eyes, squirming but not escaping Dick’s hold.

“Nothing of great interest. I have a...paper to finish.” He made a small face, as if this was all still below him. And truthfully, he had been saying the education he’d been getting ever since coming to live with Bruce _had_ been. But he was putting up with it regardless, would be done with it soon enough.

Dick _hmm’d_ , leaning down and kissing Damian’s cheek. “Want a break?” Damian clicked his tongue, shutting his book on his pen and setting it aside.

“Father is home,” Damian pointed out, “Which I am sure is some sort of deterrent for you.” Dick let go of him, sitting back, and Damian turned to stare at him. He was in a tshirt and running pants, looking more like he was ready to train then anything else.

“Not what I had in mind,” Dick offered, “And you’re right- it _is_. I thought you might wanna go for a run? I know you missed your dose of physical activity last night.” Dick paused, then added, quietly, “What we did doesn’t count.”

Damian chuckled at that, shrugging a shoulder. Honestly, the idea of getting out of the Manor was...nice. And with Dick, even nicer. He’d had his head in his books for too long already, and he was utterly bored.

“Fine,” he gave in, “I’ll change.”

“And I’ll wait outside,” Dick said, jerking his thumb towards the door. Damian raised his eyebrow. “You did say Bruce is home. Rather not have to explain my staring at you while you’re half dressed.” He leaned in, kissed Damian’s cheek again, before he slid off the bed, crossing the room and closing the door behind him. He leaned against it once it was closed, exhaling.

He didn’t really want to see Bruce yet, all things considered. Didn’t want to have to hold a poker face about what had happened. Wasn’t like he could just offhandedly remark on giving his son a handjob and all. And Dick was an open book- painfully so.

As if on queue, he heard a door close, and a moment later Bruce appeared, walking down the hallway. He settled his hands in his pockets, stopping a few steps back. “Dick.”

“Hey Bruce,” Dick offered, trying to keep his voice calm. Just _don’t think about it_. “Day in?”

“Long night,” Bruce admitted, “And another tonight. Any updates?” Dick shook his head.

“No. We have dinner plans tomorrow night- or, did. She cancelled on me already.” Bruce shifted.

“Think something is going to happen?” Dick shrugged a shoulder.

“Maybe. Possibly. She didn’t really have an excuse, just cancelled on me. But I’m not getting much of anything from her. When she talks about work it’s just the patients. You think we were wrong about our connection?” Bruce frowned.

“There’s a chance, but I doubt it. We’ll trail her, tomorrow evening. You and I will talk later.” He stopped then, Damian’s door opening, the boy walking out in his own workout gear. “It seems you’re a bit busy.”

“Just going for a run,” Dick offered, grinning. “Catch you later Bruce.” He turned, hurrying down the stairs, and Damian glanced at Bruce, gave a quiet _father_ , and then was following Dick down the stairs.

*

Damian rather liked that Dick was quiet as they jogged. They had gone off the Manor grounds, choosing to take the long country roads that lead away from it, fenced in by trees. They had gone about a mile out, before turning to make their way back. It was a slower pace, but Damian wasn’t against it. He would be moving plenty that night, he was sure.

“What were you and father talking about?” he finally asked, glancing over at Dick. The older man glanced at him, then back at the road.

“What do you mean?”

“While I was changing. I heard your voices.” Dick slowed his pace to a walk, before stopping, and Damian stopped a few paces in front of him, turning around.

“Nothing. Just a little business,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder. He raked a hand back through his hair, some of it sticking to the nape of his neck. Damian frowned, didn’t really _believe him_ , and regardless, what kind of business? Was it a case? If so, he should be included- “Hey,” Dick said, frowning. “Stop scowling and come over here.”

Damian took the few steps to Dick, closing the gap, and Dick reached for his wrist, pulling him in quickly, kissing the tip of his nose. Damian jerked back, looking at him with large eyes, and Dick grinned.

“Ah, that’s better. I’ll take that look over the scowl any day.”

“That was childish,” Damian said, reaching up to running his knuckles along his nose. Dick kept grinning.

“Can’t help it, you make me affectionate.”

“A rock would make you affectionate, Grayson.” Dick laughed, tugging Damian back in, kissing the corner of his mouth.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t kiss a _rock_ tho,” he offered, then, “And I swear Damian if you try to say I would, I am leaving you here.”

Damian rolled his eyes, before leaning in, catching Dick’s mouth. Soft at first, for a few brief, blissful seconds, and then he was licking at Dick’s lower lip, and the older man was reaching up, gripping at his bicep.

“Okay,” he whispered, even as Damian nearly swallowed the word, continuing to kiss him. “Dami, we can’t-“ he broke off, Damian’s mouth over taking his, and gave up on words, letting Damian’s tongue into his mouth, sucking on it gently. His hand on the young man’s arm tightened, and suddenly Dick was being walked backwards, slowly, over the grass that lined the side of the country road, until he was pressed up against one of the many large trees that framed the road.

Once his back hit it, Damian surged nearly onto him, pressing up against him, rubbing along one of Dick’s thighs. He groaned into Dick’s mouth, and the older man tried to push him off, only to have Damian’s mouth leave his own, in favor of his neck.

“Hnn, Dami,” he whined, hating that he was _whining_ , that he was half hard from a single kiss and a little grinding. “Someone could see.”

“So?” Damian whispered, a hand pressing to Dick’s side. His skin was salty, he smelled like sweat and the cool evening wind and that stupid fruity shampoo that Damian could not ever picture Dick without. He nuzzled into his neck, his hair, the hand on his side traveling down, right under the waistband of Dick’s pants without any ceremony. Dick gasped, Damian slipping into his underwear as well, wrapping a hand around his cock, squeezing gently. He managed to pull Dick’s cock free, his other arm pressing up against the tree’s rough bark.

“So?” Dick gasped, forgetting how to even breath as Damian started stroking him. “This l-little thing called _indecent exposure_ , to start.” Damian rolled his eyes, lifting his head and staring right at Dick.

“No one is going to see,” he countered, squeezing just below the head of his cock. “We did not see a single person or car yet. Few people are going to be on these roads until they’re heading to, or from, the Manor.”

“Oh god your father-“

“Has no reason to be out,” Damian offered, before, “Now, can you please not bring my father up when I’m trying to be intimate?” He stopped, rubbing his thumb along the head of Dick’s cock, and the older man pressed his head back, swallowing his breath.

“O-okay,” he offered, and resigned himself to the fact that Damian was going to be getting him off, no matter the risks. Not that he truly wanted to complain. The mere mention earlier from Damian that he had come over for anything other then _quality time_ had only made him want to drag the kid down onto the bed. Not that he hadn’t considered it anyway.

But this hadn’t been the goal.

Still, he rocked against the thrusts, closing his eyes, knowing Damian was _watching_ him. It was a little unnerving, but somewhere in his gut, Dick liked it. A lot.

He sucked his lip into his mouth, felt his belly tightening up. When he opened his eyes again, he was met with Damian’s startling blue gaze, the slightest part in his lips-

And then he was kissing him, pressing Dick against the tree and stroking him faster- not that it was needed. Dick was gone the moment he had kissed him, moaning loudly into his mouth, hips jerking as he came, along Damian’s knuckles. Damian stroked him through it, kissed his lips swollen, until Dick was reaching down, trying to push his hand away, over stimulated and feeling dizzy.

“You’re going to kill me,” Dick whispered, tucking himself away as Damian pulled his hand back. He leaned his head back against the tree, closing his eyes for a minute, trying to catch his breath. When he opened them again, Damian was turning his hand, looking at the wet pearly trails, and Dick, without much thought, reached out and grasped his wrist, pulling his hand closer. He traced his tongue over his knuckles, up between two fingers, and Damian openly _shivered_.

“What are you-“ he started, but the words broke off. Dick wanted to _grin_.

“Cleaning up the mess I made,” he whispered, as his tongue lapped at the last wet trail. “Why? Is it a problem?” His other hand reached out, tugged Damian closer, so he pressed up against him- and could feel, the moment Damian was there, how hard he was- didn’t know if it was from touching him, or from the little tease he’d just given.

Damian pulled his hand back, wiping Dick’s saliva off on the leg of his own pants, and Dick reached out, cupped his face and kissed his cheek, smiling. “Sorry,” he whispered, “That was mean. Didn’t mean to work you up so much.”

“I’m not,” Damian countered, and Dick rolled his eyes.

“Little D, I can _feel_ how worked up you are.” Dick let his hands move back further, into Damian’s arm, forearms resting on the curves of his shoulders. The wind was picking up slightly, smelled off rain, off in the distance. It was causing the sweat on Dick’s body to chill, leaving him with goosebumps. Openly, he shivered. “You think you’ll be okay? It’s getting a little cold and-“

“I’ll be fine.” Damian glanced away, and Dick sighed, leaning in, kissing his other cheek now, then the bridge of his nose, one eyebrow. The younger man shoved at him, but did not pull away. “What the _hell_ , Grayson.”

“Just making you smile. Besides, not sure if you wanna kiss me no-“ he was cut off when Damian turned, leaned in and planted his mouth right on Dick’s, sucking on his lip and then pressing his tongue past, teasing the tips of his teeth. Dick tasted faintly bitter, entirely new- but if Damian was honest, he didn’t dislike it. If anything, he felt the urge to have a truer taste.

When Damian pulled back, Dick exhaled.

“Ooo-kay, I’ll know next time it’s cool to kiss you. Some guys aren’t into that.” Dick shifted. “But, we should get back. I think it’s going to rain.” He pushed off the tree, leaning in, kissing Damian’s cheek one final time, because frankly, he simply wanted to pepper his entire face with kisses. “I’ll get you back later?” he offered, and Damian raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

He would, of course, be damned before he said no.

*

Damian peered down from his perch, gloved hand clutching at the lip of the building. He could, across the street, see the back entrance to the hospital, where the dead bodies were removed from the morgue for transportation. It had been exactly four minutes and thirty two seconds since Jason had gone in there, and there had been no word over the comlink as to how it was going.

He still felt he should have been in there, and not simply waiting as backup, keeping a watchful eye on the street. But he hadn’t truly fought it- _someone_ had to keep an eye out to make sure no one else tried to use the entrance. It was key that they work completely silently on this, invisible. Crane had been off the radar for almost a year now, and Damian knew his father was afraid that if they were not careful, they might spook him-

He might have chuckled over that, were he not sucking on his tongue in boredom.

Bruce was across the city, at the harbor, taking advantage of the quiet night to take a look _inside_ the storage and shipping containers. Which had left no one but Damian for this job.

“I’m in the shipment receiving room,” Jason finally said, over the com, and Damian huffed out his breath.

“Took you long enough. Did you get lost?” He could just _see_ Jason frowning.

“Can it kid. Give me a second to look around.” He went quiet again, and Damian tapped his fingers.

He wished Dick had come out on patrol. That would have been enjoyable. He had asked, and Dick had seemed unsure, hadn’t promised Damian- and then, when it came time to suit up and ship out, he hadn’t come back to the Manor. At least then Damian wouldn’t be bored. Dick would at least chatter- which seemed almost less annoying then it used to.

That was scary.

And if he wasn’t talking, he’d perhaps at least have an observation to share- or perhaps he’d get bored and simply do a flip off the building, like the flamboyant ass he was. Those were rather fun to watch.

“Nothing here,” Jason finally got back to him, snapping Damian from his thoughts. He glanced at the large doorway- thankfully, still left alone. “I’m going to go check some of the labs where they might hold the chemicals.”

“Be fast,” Damian whispered, “There’s staff in the hospital.” Jason snorted.

“I know _that_. They won’t even know I’m here.” He went quiet again, and Damian let himself trail back into his thoughts. Back to Dick flipping off buildings in his suit, that second skin that was stupidly tight and looked _so good on him_.

Damian was jerked from his thoughts when he noticed a car pulling up to the entrance, and two men getting out of the back. He crouched lower. _Damn_. “Hood, you have company.”

“How many?”

“Two, and a driver. Where are you?”

“In the main lab. I don’t see what we’re looking for- but I’ve got the nightly inventory list. Let me just check the receiving room one more time-“

“Negative Hood, they’re going in the building. Find a different exit.”

“It’ll just take a second-“

“Hood!” Jason didn’t respond, and Damian groaned. This was going to go to hell if he didn’t step in. He had studied the layout of the hospital prior, and he knew the room Jason was going for was right near the exit. No way he’d go unseen.

He pushed up, running for the edge of the building and hopping off, grabbing the first level of a fire escape, then dropping down to the next, grabbing one of the bars that held the railing up, before letting himself drop down to the ground. He ran to the edge of the alley, pressing to the building, the wet bricks dragging against his cape, and watched.

“Hood,” he whispered, “Tell me what the hell is going on?” He didn’t get a response- but he did see, across the street, the driver of the car getting out, walking to one of the back doors and opening it, pulling out a rather large gun. That _couldn’t_ be a good sign.

He frowned, as the man made his way around the back of the car, towards the entrance way. Yeah, definitely not a good sign. And he was fairly sure that if he simply watched, he’d get Jason back riddled with bullet holes, and that the alarm sent up would be high-

Damian glanced down the street, then ran, full speed, throwing himself down behind the car into a roll, to end in a crouch, peeking back around the trunk. The man was at the doorway, tossing out his cigarette.

Now, or never.

He pushed up, ran for his back and was quick to get an arm around his neck, tugging him back into a choke hold. His other hand grabbed at the gun, tugging the heavy weapon from the man’s hand and tossing it to the ground, before he got an elbow just under his ribs. His breath rushed out, but he only gritted his teeth, releasing his hold long enough to jerk the man directly into the wall, knocking his head against it. He crumpled down to the ground, eyes wide, and Damian picked the gun up, pulling the clip out and tossing it, before beginning to dismantle it- leaving it in two pieces, scattered on the ground.

“Hood, get out here,” he hissed, “The driver was about to come in. He is unconscious. We do not need any more attention.” He was sure his father would already be unhappy with this.

When he didn’t get a response, Damian pushed the door open, heading in. The flickering overhead yellow lights gave him a headache almost instnatly, and he tugged his hood up over his head, moving quickly. His eyes darted along as he moved, rounding one corner-

And then hearing the gunshots. _Damn_. His pace turned to a run, and he barreled into the door of the receiving room, knocking directly into one of the two men. He sent him sprawling to the ground, heard the other firing off a round, in the other direction.

The man beneath Damian threw a punch at him, up against his jaw. Damian’s head jerked, before his fist connected even _harder_ with the man’s jaw, glove tearing his lip. He pushed himself up, fisting his hands in his collar and dragging him away from his discarded gun, before the man was tearing at his arm with all his body weight. For a brief moment, it felt as if he might rip his shoulder from his socket. Damian gave, fell down to the ground to avoid it, and when the man tried to loom over him, pulled himself back, feet jerking up, soles of his boots planting firmly in the man’s gut. He pushed him off, sending him sprawling back against a table, heard him smack his head.

Two down. One to go.

The gunshots had ceased, but Damian could hear Jason’s loud curses, the sound of fists against a giving body. He pushed himself up, looked across the room, found Jason had him pinned to the wall, had just punched up into his ribs.

“We need to go!” Damian called, and reluctantly, Jason let the man so, his body slumping down to the floor. Jason crossed the room, quickly, one arm around his body, a hand clutching at his side. Damian could see his blood, wet over his gloves. “He shot you.”

“No shit,” Jason nearly spat, “Let’s fucking _go_.” Damian glared, but didn’t respond, leading him out, down the hallway and back out to the street. Thankfully, it seemed the few gunshots hadn’t attracted too much attention- though, Damian did not know _how_. He knew his hearing was better then most, but to have no one hear the gunshots felt strange.

Down the street, hidden in an alley, was Jason’s bike. Damian looked Jason over, before he climbed on himself.

“I’m driving,” he said, and Jason didn’t argue, climbing on behind him. One arm clutched at Damian, and the younger boy rolled his eyes. “You’re going to fall off and you know it. Just get your blood on me and get it over with.”

Jason dared to actually _laugh_ , and put both arms around him, pressing tightly against Damian’s back as he sped off into the streets, attempting to reach his father on the comlink to update him on the turn the evening had taken.

*

Damian stayed back a few steps as his father helped Jason to sit down, tugging his jacket off his shoulders. He had pulled his cowl down the moment they were in the cave, and to say his eyes were _angry_ was an understatement.

Jason pulled his helmet and mask off, nearly chucking them aside as Bruce leaned over him, trying to work his clothing off. Damian had been waiting for his father to being nearly screaming, but it hadn’t happened yet. Instead his mouth stayed in a firm line, as Jason leaned his head back, his hair damp from sweat, sticking to his forehead.

“You’re an idiot,” Bruce finally breathed, and it was far quieter then it should have been. This didn’t seem right to Damian.

“An idiot that at least didn’t come out empty handed.” Jason waved a hand towards his jacket, and Damian stepped forward, lifting it partially to dig into the pockets, pulling out a few pieces of crumpled paper. “The sign offs for the past few days on shipments received and nightly inventory. You can, ah,” Jason stopped as Bruce finally pulled his chest piece away from his body, exposing the wound. “Can cross reference.”

“You’re still an idiot,” Bruce added, but it was offered _fondly_ , and Damian left the papers on the table.

“I will get Pennyworth,” he said, not even having removed his mask yet. He didn’t particularly want to be there, suddenly. The atmosphere was strange. Too strange. Something he could not quite identify. Without another word he hurried towards the elevator, heading up to the Manor. Once inside, he headed for the foyer he knew Alfred liked to sit in, were he waiting up and not in the cave. At worst, the man was already asleep and would need to be awoken.

Damian was so distracted by the strangeness of the situation, of the way his father had been oddly...tender with Jason. Yes, that was the word. It was not how he usually acted, towards any of them. So distracted by all this that he did not hear the low speaking voices in the foyer, until he was walking in, finding Alfred sitting up with a cup of tea, Dick in a chair opposite him, nursing one as well.

The two stopped talking the moment they saw him, both faces falling from smiles to a more grim expression. “Father requires your assistance, Pennyworth,” he said, “Todd was shot.”

“Is Jason okay?” Dick asked, pushing out of his chair. Alfred was already up.

“He was still blathering like a fool, so I would say yes. He did not bleed out on the drive back.” Alfred nodded, moving swiftly past Damian, and Dick stopped to glance over Damian, looking concerned. “What?”

“Are you alright?” Damian thought about the few blows he had taken, and then nodded. He was barely even sore. Dick was staring, and Damian partially turned, followed his eyes, saw Jason had bled onto his cape in a few places.

“Todd’s blood. I drove him on his bike.”

“As long as it’s not yours.” Dick looked genuinely concerned, and Damian _wanted_ to give him a retort, that of _course_ he was fine, he was the most capable of any of them-

Instead, his own expression only softened. Dick’s worry turned into a half smile, and he reached out, carefully pulling Damian’s mask from his eyes.

“Let’s go get you outta that suit, Robin,” Dick said, fondly, and Damian didn’t argue.

The two headed upstairs, into Damian’s room. It was blissfully empty- not a single animal sprawled anywhere, and as Dick closed the door, Damian closed his eyes and let himself exhale. It was never a pleasant feeling, when the night didn’t go as planned.

When he opened his eyes, Dick had crossed the room, was reaching out to run his hands along where his cape was clasped to his tunic. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Of course.” Damian tilted his head, slightly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” Damian frowned. Dick was looking at him with eyes that seemed too open, with too many levels. As if there was something about Damian in that moment that was... mesmerizing. Like he was the center of the room.

_I’m your Robin_.

It was his suit. Damian realized, it was the damn suit. Dick was looking at him like that, because he rarely ever actually saw him in his suit now. When was the last time he had actually gone on Patrol with them? He had his own things going on, his own patrols around different parts of Gotham and even outside. He hadn’t seen Damian in the suit in _so long_.

Dick reached a hand up, cupping one of Damian’s cheeks, thumb tracing his lower lip slowly. Damian let him, rather liked the touch- and, if he was honest with himself, liked the look Dick was giving him. A lot.

When Dick leaned in to kiss him, it was slow, almost _too slow_ , and Damian found he was reaching out, grasping at the man’s tshirt, trying to coax him on, licking at his lip and being denied at first, as if Dick needed to hold back.

“Grayson,” Damian started, and felt him exhale, shakily, against his mouth.

“Stop me,” Dick whispered, “ _please_.” Damian was quiet, as Dick kissed him again, a single slow glide of his lips. “Because I can’t stop myself.”

Damian lost his breath, arms reaching up around Dick’s neck, and he kissed him, harder, pressing his tongue past his lips. This time, Dick wasn’t soft, nipping at the muscle with sharp teeth and managing to walk Damian back a step, two, before pushing him down onto his bed. Damian let go of him, let himself fall, stared up with those too-damn-blue eyes, those pretty parted lips, and Dick dropped down to his knees in front of him, between his thighs.

“Grayson,” he started again, as Dick’s hands moved along his waist, working his pants up.

“I did say I’d get you back, earlier,” Dick offered, hooking his fingers in the layers of clothing Damian had and tugging. Damian lifted his hips, watching as everything was tugged just past the juncture of his thighs, his cock free to rest against his belly, the red tunic of his suit.

When the _hell_ had he gotten that hard?

Damian had himself braced on his elbows, watched as Dick leaned in, dragged his tongue along the underside of his cock without touching him with his hands. He gasped- couldn’t _help_ it, before he finally grasped him, stroking Damian once.

“I love you in this suit,” Dick admitted, his free hand squeezing Damian’s thigh. “ _Fuck_.” Damian simply stared at him, for once at a loss for words. All he could do was watch as Dick leaned in, dragging his tongue up his shaft again, before sucking the head of his cock into his mouth. He shuddered, pushed up further, and Dick took it, didn’t choke, his tongue pressed up against the underside of his cock.

Damian squeezed his eyes shut as Dick’s head bobbed- couldn’t deny that he’d dreamt up scenarios where Dick was doing this to him- maybe not in his room while he was in his suit, but up on an empty rooftop, or in an abandoned alley-

If he was honest, he’d had a _lot_ of dreams over the years where Dick was sucking him off.

“Fuck,” he breathed, hands clutching at his blanket as he slit his eyes open, stared down at Dick through his thick lashes. The man wasn’t looking at him, was too focused on his precise movements, the way every few bobs of his head he’d swallow Damian deeper, to the point that he was nearly brushing his nose in the dark curls at the base of his cock. And each time Damian shivered, groaning, unable to repress it.

Dick pulled off, taking over with his hand, glancing up at him. “You’re my Robin,” he whispered, echoed Damian’s words from days ago, when he’d tried to convince Dick that this simply _had to happen_. If either were to stop and realize how far they’d come in that short time, they would be equally lost. “ _Mine_.”

Damian tilted his head back, giving a throaty moan- where were these _sounds_ coming from- then, “Say it again, Grayson.”

“ _My Robin_.” Then his mouth was back, hot and wet and sinfully good, and Damian pushed his hips up, meeting Dick’s movements as he felt his belly tightening.

When he came, it was with an obscene sort of moan he didn’t even think himself capable of, pushing up over Dick’s tongue, cum spilling over the back of his tongue, into his throat. Dick help him still, sucking softly until Damian was collapsing onto his back, staring up at his ceiling, the pulsing in his body nothing but dry, shallow waves now. He heard Dick moving between his legs, standing up, and slowly he pushed himself up, staring at him with hazy, dark eyes.

Dick was smiling, his pink lips slightly swollen, smudged, and Damian reached for him, pulling him down so he was leaning over him, kissing him openly. He licked at his lips, tasted something similar to what had been on Dick’s lips earlier- faintly different, distinctly his own- and Dick groaned, an arm wrapping around his shoulders.

“That’s,” he breathed, “even _hotter_ then earlier.” Damian smirked, giving his lips a final lick before he leaned back. That smirk was devilish, and Dick was sure it could be the death of him.

This boy in general would be the death of him.

He stepped back, a moment later, to let Damian stand up, and begin actually stripping of his suit. He tugged his underwear back up, but shoved the rest of it down his legs, fighting with the laces on his boots, his cape left in a pile on the floor.

“So what are you doing here?” Damian finally asked, as he stepped out of the bottom pieces to the suit, and began working on the tunic.

“I needed to talk to Bruce,” Dick admitted. “Still do, actually. I can take your suit down to the cave.”

“Fine,” he said, tossing the tunic onto his bed and pulling the last piece off. “Come back when you’re done. I’ll be in the shower.”

“I should probably head home,” Dick admitted, “I mean, it’s late.” Damian quirked an eyebrow at him, and realized Dick was trying _very hard_ to keep his eyes from drifting down past his shoulders.

Smirk returning, Damian took the few steps to Dick, trailing a finger along his clothed chest.

“It’s the middle of the night,” he corrected, “So come back to my room after. You are staying.”

“Damian-“

“Staying.” His smirk fell away, and his other hand reached for one of Dick’s, taking it and placing it on his waist, letting him feel heated skin, the curves of muscle under skin as that hand rubbed up along his side. “Understood?”

Dick hesitated, then exhaled, “yeah,” and dared to glance down at Damian’s collar bone. The teen leaned in, kissed once at his jawline.

“If you’re going to be talking with father, best keep your eyes at a safe level.” Dick’s cheek flushed, and Damian couldn’t help but chuckle. It was too easy to play with Dick, even after what he had just done. “Now go. Or you might never get down to the cave.”

He stepped away, turning and heading towards the bathroom, and Dick fought to not stare, choosing to scramble around for the pieces of Damian’s suit instead.

*

Damian was quick to shower, changing into another pair of boxer briefs after and then crawling into his bed. He collapsed onto his belly, face pressed into his pillow, feeling far more drained then he expected. He thought, perhaps, it had more to do with Dick’s mouth then it did with the excitement from patrol.

He was beginning to drift when his bedroom door opened again, closing with a gentle _click_ , and then silence. He lifted his head, saw Dick was leaning against the door, looking at him. “What are you waiting for?” he asked, nearly yawning, and Dick shifted.

“Do you-“

“Want you to get into my bed? Yes, ideally.” Damian slumped back down into his pillow, could barely tell when Dick clicked the light off and the room was flooded in darkness. He could, however, hear his soft footsteps, the rustling of clothing as he tugged his shirt off over his head, letting it fall to the floor. The sound of the zipper on his jeans.

When he crawled into the bed, he was as undressed as Damian was.

Damian shifted, turning onto his side and pressing up against Dick’s side. Dick shifted his arm so it was around him, giving him a squeeze, adding, “Are you...cuddling?”

“I am trying to sleep, Grayson.” Still, Damian couldn’t help nestling closer. Dick was _warm_ , the patches of unscarred skin soft, and he smelled like something fruity that was no longer obnoxious.

Something in Damian’s mind remembered falling asleep against him as a child, and made his muscles relax.

Dick could have teased him, but decided he didn’t _want_ to. He was tired, and Damian felt too good pressed up into his side, legs tangling in with one of Dick’s. Instead, he chose to close his eyes, to let his body relax.

“G’night, little D,” he whispered, giving him another squeeze. Damian was quiet for a minute, before,

“Goodnight, Grayson.”


	4. Chapter 4

When Dick woke up, he couldn’t tell what time it was. For a moment, he didn’t even know _where_ he was, until the body in his arms shifted, and instinctively, he clutched it tighter. At some point, he had rolled onto his side, had his arms snugly around Damian, his face pressed between the teen’s shoulder blades. He tilted his head slightly, so it was only his forehead, exhaled as he remembered Damian telling him to _stay_.

As he remembered calling him _his Robin_ and hearing the most obscene noises come from the boy’s mouth.

Carefully, Dick pulled his arms away, sitting up. Damian shifted again, slightly, if only to curl up closer to his pillow. Dick smiled, openly watched him, wanted to reach out and pet his hair, trace the scars around his shoulders. He resisted though, if only because he didn’t want to wake him.

Instead, Dick carefully slid out of the bed, stretching once, then grabbing his tshirt off the floor and tugging it on. He padded across the room, careful to open the door as quietly as possible, before slipping into the hallway, closing it again behind him with a gentle _click_. He made his way down the stairs, could smell coffee, and headed straight for the kitchen.

He expected to find Alfred, but the moment he stepped into the kitchen he stopped, instead finding a pair of bright blue eyes and a smirk greeting him.

“Well hello Dickie. Didn’t know you were _sleeping over_.” Jason’s smirk turned into a grin, and Dick didn’t know what to do, except stare at him, stupidly.

“Where’s Alfred?”

“Bruce told him he was, under no circumstances, to get up and cater to us this morning. After he was up patching me up,” Jason lifted his arm slightly, and Dick could see the bandage taped to his side.

“Feeling alright?” he asked, his concern showing, and Jason’s grin turned soft.

“Yeah,” he offered, “Alfred is a wizard, and it wasn’t that bad. I’ll live to fuck up another day.” He tipped his head slightly. “Want some coffee?”

“Hell, yes.” Dick moved towards the pot, as Jason pulled down three mugs, passing Dick one, who poured until it was about half full, before moving to the fridge and pulling out the creamer, dumping enough into his coffee that it was the faintest tan. He moved to the sugar next, dumping a few _very full_ spoonfuls in, and heard Jason chuckling behind him.

“You know, maybe you should just stick to chocolate milk or something.” Dick rolled his eyes, turned and watched him pour coffee into two mugs- leaving one completely alone before adding cream to another, and the faintest hint of sugar.

“Are you getting Bruce coffee?”

“Someone has to wake the old Bat up,” he offered. “Besides, I’m sure he’ll want to tear into me again. Best get it out of the way.” Jason picked his own mug up, took a sip.

“Didn’t seem like he tore into you too much last night.” Jason smirked against his coffee mug- and for the life of him, Dick couldn’t figure out _why_.

“He was gentle.” He took another sip. “Just means I’m due, then.” Dick leaned against the counter, glancing down, before furrowing his brow, asking,

“...Are those Bruce’s pants?” Jason just shrugged a shoulder.

“Didn’t _plan_ on a sleepover. And I don’t think he wanted me parading around in just my skin.” He glanced down at Dick, before adding, “Not complaining that you still have an aversion to pants in the morning, Dickie.” Dick rolled his eyes, and Jason frowned. “What? No blush?” Before Dick could respond, Jason leaned in, kissed his cheek- and there it was, a hint of color on his cheeks. When he leaned back, Jason smiled. “That’s better. You look better with color on your cheeks.”

“Funny.” He sipped his coffee.

“Hey, you used to _like it_ when I made you blush.” The flush deepened, and Jason laughed. “There we go! Even better!” Another sip, and then Jason grabbed the other mug, pushing off the counter. “We’ll have to catch up sometime pretty boy. I think I miss your face.”

It was teasing, but Dick knew it was sincere, as well. And, if he was honest, he missed Jason as well. Missed all of the family. It seemed they had all taken their own direction, and except for the occasional team up, hardly ever saw each other.

And, considering what he and Jason had once had, well, he really did miss him.

He waited until Jason had left the room, then set his coffee down, reaching up for another mug, and poured it full, leaving the coffee black and collecting his own, heading out.

It was harder to get Damian’s bedroom door open now, but he managed- albeit less quietly. He walked over to the bed, setting both mugs on the nightstand and pulling his tshirt off, crawling back into bed and wrapping his arms around Damian. The boy stirred, pressing back into him, as one of Dick’s hands splayed on his belly, thumb rubbing a rather heavy scar there.

“You’re warm,” Damian mumbled, Dick assumed still mostly asleep. He leaned in, nuzzled at his hair, kissed the nape of his neck. Damian shifted back into him, his ass pressing right into Dick, who mouthed at his neck again, trying to take a deep breath.

One of Damian’s hands reached down, covering Dick’s, before lacing their fingers together, and Dick felt his heart thudding against his ribs. He almost didn’t want Damian to wake up from this drowsy state. He’d always been far more affectionate when he was sleepy, even as a kid, and Dick could admit, to himself, that he liked it- loved it, in this moment. Yet, it made his chest hurt.

He had too many feelings for this kid, and he was sure nearly all of them were reason enough to damn him.

Still, after a few more silent, sweet moments, Damian was shifting, rolling over. He glanced up at Dick with heavy eyelids, leaning up and pressing his mouth just under his jaw. Dick reached around him, rubbed his skin soothingly. “Sleep well?”

Damian _hummed_ , mouth moving down onto Dick’s neck. “Yes,” he finally managed, pulling himself closer, flush against Dick now. “Did you?”

“Better then I have in a while,” Dick admitted, tilting his head back so Damian could pepper kisses against his throat. It was oddly... _soft_. He could only wonder if the kid was still partially asleep.

Damian made his way up along Dick’s jaw, and the older man tilted his head back down to meet him, accepting to slow, open mouthed kiss. Damian started but did not demand control, letting Dick lick his way into his mouth. His tongue tasted ridiculously sweet, like pure sugar, and Damian rocked against him, memory pulling up the contrast to the night prior, when it had been bitter.

Dick made a little sound, breaking the kiss and trying to pull away. “Hey, careful,” he breathed, “You already pressed your ass right into me once. I can only take so much in the morning.” He was smiling, teasing, but Damian ignored him, rocking into him again, enjoying the small little surprised moan he was given.

“I want,” he started, licking his lips, “To return the favor. For last night.” Dick leaned back then, reaching to grasp at Damian’s shoulder, to hold him so he couldn’t look away.

“Uhm,” he started, feeling his cock twitching, trying to ignore it. “You don’t have to...I mean. It wasn’t a favor. I think I enjoyed it about as much as you did.”

Damian quirked up an eyebrow. “That is debatable.” _Oh hell_. Dick bit back his thoughts, actually bit his lip for a moment.

“Still.”

“It only seems fair.” Damian’s mouth was somehow set in it’s firm line, unfeeling. Dick wasn’t sure how he could seem so emotionally neutral in that moment.

Still, after a moment, Dick smiled. “Damian...do you just want to suck me off?” Damian pulled back, as if he was _offended_ , and openly _scoffed_.

But didn’t deny it.

“I mean, I wouldn’t stop you,” Dick continued, “But you don’t have to. Okay? I wanna make sure we’re clear on this. Just ‘cause I did doesn’t mean you suddenly have to. _Okay_?”

“Okay, yes Grayson. I get it.” He rolled his eyes, before pushing Dick lightly, so he rolled onto his back, pushing himself up over him. He straddled one of Dick’s thighs, leaning down to kiss his overly-sugared mouth again, following each of Dick’s not-so-subtle hints. When his tongue pushed into Damian’s mouth, he pushed back, until he was testing the points of Dick’s teeth, until the man was making these little almost pathetic sounds in his throat, hips trying to move up, to find friction.

Damian reached one hand down, pressing along Dick’s obvious erection, the older man pushing up into his hand, one arm reaching up to wrap around his shoulders, hold onto him as they continued to kiss. He clutched tighter as Damian pulled the waistband of his underwear down, wrapping his hand around the base of his cock, squeezing gently. He stroked a few times, sucking on Dick’s tongue, before breaking the kiss, pulling away from his hold and sliding down his body.

Dick closed his eyes, felt Damian’s breath against his cock, repressed a shiver. His hand moved again, slowly-

Before stilling. Dick waited another moment, before cracking his eyes open, pushing himself up on his elbows to glance down at the boy.

“Dami?” He had his lower lip sucked into his mouth, the faintest pink on his cheeks- god, Dick really did love color on his copper skin, it was _ridiculous_. “You okay?” His only answer was to stroke Dick, slowly, and Dick exhaled, shakily.

He looked like he was concentrating-

And then it hit Dick. The kid had never done this before.

“Why don’t you come back up here and kiss me again,” Dick offered. Damian frowned, squeezed his cock, and Dick groaned, absentmindedly thrusting up slightly.

“Do not patronize me, Grayson.” Then, quieter, “I’m not a child.”

“I-ah, didn’t say you were.” Dick shifted a bit, tugging the pillows closer to him so he could propr up against them. He reached down, stroking Damian’s hair. “You really wanna do this?” A subtle nod. “Do you want help?” Damian glanced up at him, saying nothing- but the silence was answer enough. He stroked his hand up again, twisting gently just below the head of Dick’s cock, before moving back down, leaving him exhaling shakily again. “Just,” Dick started, trying _very hard_ to think, to be able to form words. “Run your tongue up along it, like I did last night.”

Damian huffed through his nose, but a moment later had his mouth at the base of Dick’s cock. He kissed, before his tongue moved up along his shaft, to the bundle of nerves just under the head, where Damian licked. Dick groaned

“That,” he whispered, “k-keep doing it.” Damian lapped at the spot again, before sealing his lips over it, sucking gently. Dick tipped his head back. “Fuck Dami,” he breathed, the teen’s hand stroking along his shaft. Damian lifted his lips slightly, tongue darting out again, partially licking up onto the head of his cock, and Dick nearly whined. “That,” he whispered, and Damian licked at it, at the pre-cum slowly leaking out. Before Dick could say anything he opened his mouth, sucking in only the head, his hand still stroking.

He hadn’t expected Dick to taste this salty, but he couldn’t claim he didn’t like it. He sucked gently, grasping at the memories of Dick from the night prior, as the man reached down to stroke his hair again.

“Fuck,” he breathed, “you’re doing f-fine Dami.” Another stroke of his hair, and Damian tried to swallow more, lips inching down Dick’s shaft. It took all of his will power to not thrust up, to keep from choking Damian, who was moving slowly.

Not that it really matter. Dick was fairly sure that Damian could not much at all, just suck gently, and he’d still get his orgasm.

Damian pulled back, before pushing down again, slightly farther, realizing he could get about half of Dick into his mouth without too much problem. He felt Dick tugging at his hair, and picked up the pace, heard him openly groaning.

“Fuck, Dam-i. So good.” His head tipped back, felt Damian squirming slightly, his hips rocking down into the sheets, and _fuck the kid was getting just as excited as Dick was_.

Damian flicked his tongue against the little bundle of nerves as he nearly pulled off, before going back down again- repeating, and Dick shook. “O-kay,” he breathed, feeling a hot pressure building at the base of his spine. “You can-“ the words broke as Damian swallowed him deeper, exhaling through his nose, against Dick’s skin, as he tried to swallow him entirely down. However, once the head of Dick’s cock brushed the back of his throat he was pulling back, silently choking for a second, not wanting Dick to see.

He was too distracted, clutching tighter at Damian’s hair.

“Jesus I’m going to cum,” he breathed, “Damian _stop_.”

This time, Damian did pull off- slowly, letting his lower lip drag along the head of Dick’s cock. “Is that not the point, Grayson?”

Dick stared down at him, swore Damian’s eyes were ten shades darker then they ever had been, his pupils huge. His lips wet, swollen. _Goddamn he was utterly fucked-out_.

“Maybe you don’t wanna-“

“I do.” Damian lapped at the head of his cock again. “I’m curious how you truly taste, Grayson.”

Dick groaned, his stomach clenching almost painfully, as he pulled at Damian’s hair. The teen hissed, before sucking him back into his mouth, resuming at a faster pace, one that had Dick tilting his head back, panting. He could feel it, so close, and when he gave Damian’s hair another tug, when the kid groaned _right around his cock_ , he gave a sharp cry, pushing farther in, hips jerking, then stilling as he came right over his tongue.

Damian swallowed without a thought, could be glad he did later as Dick gave him a mouthful despite it. It was bitter, and as Damian pulled off, swallowing the rest, he scrunched his face up a little. More so at the fact that he didn’t _dislike it_ then the actual flavor.

Dick had collapsed back into the pillows, was staring up at the ceiling, watching it spin. Damian moved up next to him, pressing against his side, not actually meaning to make his own arousal evident but- well, it was rather hard to hide. Dick managed to lift an arm, wrapped it around Damian and squeezed.

“Fucking hell Damian. Fucking _hell_.” Damian smiled, before he could stop himself, before pressing into the crook of Dick’s neck, trying to hide it- hide the color in his cheeks. He was _not_ blushing, his body was simply hot from the arousal. That was it. “That was... _great_.”

“You sound as if you expect anything except greatness from me.” Dick chuckled, rolling his eyes.

“Stuck up brat,” he muttered, shifting s little so Damian had to raise his head, and he could lean in, kissing the bridge of his nose. He turned, onto his side, slipping one leg between Damian’s and reaching for his chin, tipping it up. “Now,” he whispered, stroking his swollen lower lip with his thumb. “Let me take care of you.”

When Dick kissed him, there wasn’t a fiber in Damian’s body that wanted to fight him.

*

Dick followed Damian out of his room far later in the morning- was it even _still morning_?- peeking around the door to make sure the hallway was empty. Damian didn’t seem to care, and strolled right out of his room, heading for the stairs. They were dressed now- although, it had been tempting for Dick to try and keep the kid in bed all day. _Really tempting_.

But probably not the place for it. Not with Bruce home. Not with Jason roaming about to.

“Hey look, sleeping beauties.” _Speak of the devil_. Jason was walking out of one of the foyers, Titus following him. The dog bounded towards Damian when he saw him, happily leaning his large body against the boy’s side. “I wondered if I’d see either of you two at all.”

Dick stuffed his hands into his pockets, wasn’t sure what to say. Jason was giving him this look, as if he was _studying_ him, the smallest smile on the corner of his lips.

“I see you did not die in the night, Todd.” Damian reached down, scratching Titus behind his ear.

“It’d take more then a bullet to finish me off.” He winked, and Dick looked away, feeling as if this was all...obscene, in a way. A very, very strange way.

“Is father up?”

“Nursing a headache and on his third cup of coffee,” Jason offered, jerking his head back towards the hallway. “He and Alfred are watching the news. Of all things.” Jason folded his arms. “Why? We cutting into father-son brunch or something?”

Damian scrunched up his face. “No. Just curious.” He started walking again, going right past Jason, gently holding his hand out behind him to keep Titus from following.

“Where are you going?” he asked, as Dick followed Damian. Without even turning around, the youngest said,

“Grayson and I are getting breakfast.”

They were nearly out the door when they heard Jason laughing, yelling, “It’s nearly one!”

*

Dick wasn’t sure he’d ever been in a car with Damian driving. And it was strange, to say the least. Not that he disliked reclining back in the seats of one of Bruce’s expensive cars. Not that he minded being able to steal glances at that young, serious face. Not that he minded _anything_ , really-

Just that it was weird sometimes, to think of him as all grown up.

_You don’t seem to have a problem thinking of him like that in bed now_. Dick sucked on his tongue, shutting up his own thoughts- before he worked himself up into a guilt trip.

He had been, at first, silently worried about where ever Damian could be _taking him_. Worried because maybe he was _under dressed_ , because really, it wasn’t like he had expensive taste-

Except in partners, apparently.

He’d only calmed himself when it finally sunk in that Damian was just in jeans as well, a hoodie left open over his tshirt. Okay, casual. Casual was good.

“I have never heard you this quiet before,” Damian mused, turning down one of the streets. Outside, Gotham was bustling.

“Just...hoping you’re not putting me through vegetarian food,” Dick said with a shrug of his shoulder, because what else was he supposed to say? Admit that he was suddenly worried that he was too- what, _trashy_ to be out with this kid? It was foolish, he’d grown up under Bruce- but it didn’t mean he didn’t lead a different lifestyle, if left on his own.

Damian frowned, and Dick realized maybe he’d come off as a bit harsh. He hadn’t _meant_ to. But then, “No, I am not. Believe it or not, I can take into consideration your own... preferences.”

Damian clicked his tongue, not looking at Dick, and the older man chose to look out the window instead, thinking maybe he should just shut up for the rest of the day.

The little cafe was oddly _cute_ , Dick could admit. And the food was good- and, thankfully, not vegetarian. Although there were options, which Dick was sure was the reason Damian even knew it existed.

They had orange juice in champagne glasses, and whatever strange tension had almost built in the car was gone, much to Dick’s relief. Instead, he felt oddly relaxed, thought it was cute the way Damian sipped at the juice, tilted the long glass just enough. Years of practice.

Dick had it too. You live with Bruce Wayne long enough, you learn exactly how to drink from a champagne glass.

They didn’t speak much- but this also didn’t bother Dick. He rather liked it. Liked the way Damian just seemed to exist in his space. For once, he didn’t feel the need to chatter.

He was probably about half done with his food when Damian finally said, “You’re quiet again.”

“I didn’t think you’d complain about that.” Dick grinned, and shockingly, Damian only rolled his eyes, before shifting a little, hooking his foot around Dick’s ankle under the table. Dick leaned onto the table, quirking up an eyebrow. “You know, that’s pretty domestic for you.”

“I regret saying anything about your silence,” Damian said, sticking a forkful of food into his mouth. Dick’s grin stayed on his face.

“I almost think you’re as affectionate as me.” Damian scoffed.

“Grayson, no one can be as sickeningly _affectionate_ as you.” Even as he said it, his foot rubbed the curve of Dick’s ankle, and Dick reached out, grabbing Damian’s wrist, pulling his hand across the table, kissing his knuckles. Something about the kid was melting his heart, in that moment. Maybe the way his disdain didn’t really stick on his face- the way his eyes were _amused_ , the fact that that serious mouth, that almost pout, seemed playful, around the edges.

Dick had expected anger at the public affection, but a moment later Damian was pushing himself up, leaning over the table and finding Dick’s mouth, kissing him. It was chaste, slow, the kind that had Dick’s stomach in absolute knots, that left him feeling as if he might fly up, right into the sky.

It wasn’t a feeling he was a stranger to. Dick had fallen before, had a string of past romances to prove it.

The fact that these feelings were stemming from _Damian_ though, well. That was something he never could have braced himself for.

When Damian pulled back, he didn’t comment about the kiss. Simply sat back down, picking up his glass and taking a sip, and Dick stared at him for a second, before smiling like a lovesick fool.

Because, if he was honest- and he didn’t want to be- that was exactly what he was, for this kid. For the last person in the world that should make his heart flutter like a caged bird.

*

Without a thought, Dick threw himself from the top of the building, didn’t shoot his grappling hook until he was mid air. It connected with the next building and he swung over, pulling himself up. A few buildings away, Gotham General was in sight.

He was alone, as he straightened up on the roof top. No back up, no friendly eyes. No one even knew he was here, except Bruce.

And Bruce would be painfully silent, on Patrol with Damian by his side. Probably keeping him from the hospital, so Dick could work in peace.

He got a running start, clearing a jump to the next building, before taking to the edge, scaling down. Keeping to the shadows, he watched, as a woman stepped from the front doors, shifting her bag about as she headed for the street, to cross over to the parking lot.

Dick knew her. If he was honest, he knew her far better then he wanted to. When Bruce had first discovered the chemicals coming into the harbor, and their destination, he’d looked into all the personnel files of Gotham General employees. There had been plenty that warranted his attention- but this woman was one of very few with constant access to the areas the chemicals would be stored.

He’d wanted to know who she was, how she had a tie to Crane- hadn’t doubted for a moment that she did. That’s when he had called Dick, clued him in on the case, and asked for his _help_.

For the past two weeks, Dick had gone on a number of dates with her, gotten to _know her_. Undercover not as Nightwing, just with a fake name and ID. If she recognized him as one of Bruce Wayne’s _almost kids_ , she had never voiced it. Granted, Dick had worked hard to slide right out of the spotlight over the past few years. He’s left Damian to take up center stage, next to his father. Preferred it that way.

She got into her car, and Dick waited to see where she was pulling out to. He’d put a tracker on her vehicle after their last date, and looked at the small touch screen attached to his wrist. Always new gadgets when he worked with Bruce.

She wasn’t heading home. Dick had originally had a date with her that evening, and her breaking it had spurred Bruce into having him finally tail her. She should have been going home- it was late, _really late_ , but she was heading straight into the city, instead.

Dick would have liked to travel by skyline, but knew he needed to keep a short distance between them. A block away, he had a bike hidden, and once he was on it, followed her signal into the city.

He was almost glad to finally have the chance to make a move on her, perhaps. It was almost fun, at first- Dick was _good_ at romance, he knew it. Was charming with his chatter and dazzling smiles. He’d been told plenty of times- hell, Barbara still teased him, from time to time. Jason, too. Both of them had fallen for it, once upon a time.

But lately- he felt strange about it. Had been glad to not have to take her to dinner, to play his fingers over her hand, to have to kiss her breathless before taking her home. He felt strange because in his mind, he could only think about Damian. And how the kid didn’t know. And how it felt...well, like he was cheating on him, if he was honest.

_You’re not dating him_ Dick reminded himself, weaving in between traffic as his target’s car picked up speed. Because he wasn’t. There wasn’t anything to tell him this was more then Damian exploring sex finally. Nothing more then Damian being _physically attracted_ to Dick.

Except the way when he called Dick an idiot, it was fondly.

Except that he had looked at Dick over brunch with this affection in his eyes that Dick was sure he meant to hide.

Except that, the whole brunch ordeal had felt like a _date_.

Dick shook his head, taking a turn rather sharp, gripping the handles of the bike tighter. Right, Damian, with any sort of romantic feelings. He could laugh at himself over that. There was no way, _absolutely no way_ , and besides, even if he did- well, Dick didn’t want to count the years in their age gap. He was coming to terms with sleeping with him, but- well. What could Damian see in him anyway? Over ten years of an age gap just...it wouldn’t end well.

Dick told himself that, even as there was a rush of heat in his belly and chest every time he thought about the boy snuggling into him in his bed, sleeping last night. Even as his fingers itched to stroke his hair. Even as he wanted nothing more then to just lay around with him.

He glanced at his wrist, and the tracker was slowing, pulling off the road. He did the same, before getting into the heart of Gotham nightlife- which, at this hour, was just beginning to thin. He was rather glad that, after all the years he’d spend prowling in the shadows, he hadn’t forgotten any of the tricks for hiding, despite his suit, despite the crowds. Bike stowed, he shot a grappling hook directly up above him, making his way up to the rooftops, for a more comfortable setting.

He watched her disappear into one of countless clubs on the street, made a mental note of which one. She wasn’t there long- ten minutes, tops, before she was walking out, this time not alone.

A handful of people with shifty eyes, walking almost like a wall- and within it, she had her arm hooked with a man that, no matter what he wore, what sort of lighting there was, Dick would know. He hadn’t been dealing with him for this many years to not know Johnathan Crane’s face.

So Bruce had been right. She was the link. Well, good. Maybe that meant this case was closed- figure out where Crane was and then-

Dick’s thoughts were interrupted when he realized they weren’t heading back to her car, but to another that had just pulled up along the side of the street. She and Crane got in, and Dick groaned, watching it move off into traffic. He took off in a run, throwing himself over to the next building, landing in a crouch and launching up, running start for the next leap-

But it was no use. The car blended in with traffic, and a few graceful leaps later, Dick was staring down at the nightlife traffic, having no clue where they had gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Dick drove to the Manor the next day, meaning to update Bruce in person- and maybe have a little talk about the whole case. Maybe it was time to clue the rest of the family in- after all, both Jason and Damian were working it with him, on and off while also handling nightly patrol. There was no reason Dick had to keep his part a secret- not from them.

He let himself in, was greeted by Titus bounding out from one of the side rooms happily, rushing up to him and actually lifting his front paws up, managing to get them on Dick’s shoulders.

“Oh god hi,” he said with a laugh, petting him. “God you’re more horse then dog.” Titus’s tongue lolled out for a moment, before he hopped off, making his way back from the hallway he’d come from. Dick followed him, watched the dog walk into one of the countless rooms- this one a small reading room, with a large plush couch, a few chairs- and plop down happily on the floor.

Dick walked around the couch, glanced down, found Damian curled up on it, fast asleep. On the floor were a few books, his sketchpad, a forgotten pencil and a few pens. His face was pressed towards the back cushions, body partially curled on his side. Pressed up against the back of his thighs was Alfred, who opened his eyes and glanced at Dick, before closing them again, deciding he did not warrant a real reaction.

Dick fought down a chuckle, because, worse then Alfred were the three kittens- two of which, the girls, were curled up against Damian’s belly, and the third, Micah, was sprawled out, balanced on his hip. He wondered if Damian had fallen asleep with the animals like that, or if they had moved in once he was dead to the world.

He leaned onto the back of the couch, simply watching, couldn’t help but smile. Damian just looked so...peaceful. All the tension, the seriousness drained from him. Reminded Dick of when he was a kid, and he’d fall asleep after patrol.

Damian shifted a little, gave a sleepy groan, and Dick thought to leave, to let him sleep- but then one of the kittens was lifting her head, and Sasha looked at him with big sleepy eyes, before moewing. Over, and over again, pawing up at him. Dick reached down, let her bat at his finger before scratching under her chin- but the damage was done. Damian’s eyes were fluttering open.

“Hey,” Dick offered. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you up.” Damian blinked, looking up at him, before glancing down, at the kittens taking up the space by his belly- and then lifting his head more, staring at Micah, still sprawled on his hip. “Uh, careful, Alfred is right behind you, too.”

Damian let his head fall back down, mumbling, “What time is it?” Dick pulled his hand back, reaching for his phone from his pocket.

“After three.” A drowsy nod. “I’ll just...let you get back to sleep. I came to see Bruce-“

“In the city,” Damian mumbled, “At the office. He left this-“ he stopped, yawned, and Dick felt his chest caving in, couldn’t handle that Damian could be so utterly...well, cute. “-morning. Said he’d be back for dinner.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll just go-“

“Come down here.” Dick raised an eyebrow, and Damian shifted more. Behind him, Alfred lifted his head, before standing up, stretching, and hopping off the couch, to curl up next to Titus.

“I think that couch is plenty occupied,” Dick joked, and Damian rolled his eyes, pushing himself up, one hand reaching to gather up Micah from his hip. The kitten’s eyes opened and he protested, until Damian had him cradled against his chest. He sat up, managing to awkwardly get the other two, until all three were a squirming mess against his tshirt.

Dick could only smile- he was wondering just how often he did this around Damian now- and walked around, sitting down, carefully stretching out so that Damian was between his legs. The teen wasted no time setting the kittens back down and laying on his side on Dick’s chest, on arm clutching around him. The kittens moved around, squirming, until Micah had crawled back up on Damian’s hip, Lana finding her way back towards his belly. Sasha, on the other hand, crawled her way up towards Dick’s shoulder, settling by his collar bone, above Damian’s head.

Dick laughed, even as he reached out to stroke Damian’s hair, the space between his shoulder blades. “You have a late night?”

Damian hummed quietly, then, “Very. Patrol went-“ he stopped to yawn, “longer then usual. And I had to be up to participate in this,” he nestled closer, ”dreadful discussion for a class. I nearly fell asleep at my desk.” Dick stroked along the nape of his neck, and Damian gave a happy little sigh- and Dick was sure he had no idea he’d even made the noise. “The point of an online class is to not have such obligations, is it not?”

“Hmmm, I guess.” Dick closed his eyes for a minute, as Damian squeezed him tighter.

“You’re comfortable, Grayson.” Another stifled yawn, Damian pressing his mouth into Dick’s chest, and the older man let his hand slide down between his shoulder blades.

“You always seemed think so.” Damian was quiet for a moment, before,

“Yes. I did.” Dick felt that coiled of excitement in his belly, the affection in his chest, but chose to keep his mouth shut, listening simply to Damian’s breathing as it began to even out. He could just lay here with him, he was sure. It’d be alright, he would just wake the boy up if anyone seemed to happen near.

But within a few minutes, Dick was asleep too, the gentle weight and heat of Damian’s body, the way he clutched onto him, too much to fight.

*

Dick’s body jerked when a hand closed around his socked foot, squeezing, and his eyes snapped open. Damian was jostled by the movement, eyes opening- and from the other end of the couch, Dick could hear laughter.

“You two really are sleeping beauties,” Jason said, playing with the weight of his phone in one hand. He had a grin plastered all over his face, and Dick let his head drop back.

“Fucking god Jason,” he muttered- then realized that Damian was sprawled out over him, and pushed himself back up. The youngest was already moving, but in the confined couch ended up with his face pressed into Dick’s chest as the older sat up fully. The kitten that had been sleeping on his shoulder hopped off, making her way down to the floor, followed by her siblings.

“Did I miss the cuddle pile memo?” Damian huffed, trying to push himself up, before,

“Grayson I cannot move, lean back.” Jason only laughed harder as Dick let himself fall back to the couch and Damian pushed himself up, standing and shooting a glare at Jason. He turned his attention to the kid for a minute.

“You really don’t come off as a cuddler.”

“ _Shut up_ , Todd.” Dick pushed himself up, sitting, reaching out and grasping at Damian’s wrist, seeing his hands balled into fists. He held for a moment, and that hand relaxed, and Damian turned away, bending down to gather up his books and such on the floor.  
Jason’s eyes had flicked to Dick’s hold on his wrist, then back to Damian, as the youngest pulled away, pushing past Jason.

“I have more important things to do then listen to your childish chatter, Todd.” He was out of the room before either could say anything, and Jason turned his stare to Dick now.

“Pretty sure I’ve never seen someone calm the kid down like that before.” Dick rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t-“

“He looked like he was gonna attempt to punch my lights out ‘til you touched him.” Jason folded his arms, still clutching his phone. “So, what was that?”

“What was what?” Jason rolled his eyes, waving one hand at the couch.

“ _That_.”

“We just fell asleep.”

“You were cuddling, Dick. I think I’d know. I _do_ remember.” He lifted his phone, swiping the screen and then leaning forward, holding it out. He’d snapped a picture before waking Dick up, of the two sound asleep, Damian pressed- rather happily, by the sleeping half smile on his face- into Dick’s chest, the kittens curled up about them.

“Yeah well, I like to cuddle. You know that.”

“But _Damian_?” Dick shrugged a shoulder.

“He used to when he was a kid, remember? Somethings don’t change. Don’t tease him about it.” Jason rolled his eyes. “And uh...keep this to yourself.”

“Why?”

“I dunno...I guess it’d just be...weird. If Bruce-“

“Fucking god Dickie, you were sleeping on the couch, not sucking his dick-“ Jason trailed off when he saw Dick’s cheeks go bright red, and he nearly dropped his phone on the couch. “Holy. Shit. You’re _not_.”

“Jay-“

“ _Damian_? _Really_?” Jason hopped over the arm of the couch, settling down and leaning in. “Of all the-“

“Jason _stop_.”

“I mean, he did grow up to be _fine as fuck_ , I’ll give him that. Looks like Bruce-“

“ _Please do not go there_.” Dick shook his head, pressing his face into his hands. Wanting to curl up and hide. He groaned, and suddenly Jason was throwing an arm around him, pulling him closer.

“Hey, what’s wrong with looking like the old Bat? You really gonna argue that Bruce isn’t _hot_?”

“This is so awkward,” Dick whined, “Jay, I don’t wanna think about that. Okay.” Jason huffed.

“Alright alright. I mean, he looks like Talia too. He didn’t really fill out as much as Bruce. Bet you could lift him up and-“

“Can you _not_?”

“Jeez, alright.” He squeezed Dick’s shoulders. “So, _does_ Bruce know?” Dick hung his head, and Jason frowned. “Take that as a no.”

“Yeah, really not sure how to start the conversation. _Oh, by the way, I’m sleeping with your teenage son. Hope that’s cool!_ I think I’d be dead.” Dick sighed, leaned over into Jason, who rubbed his shoulder. “God how did I get into this mess.”

“It’s not a mess,” Jason offered, “If you’re enjoying it. Just...go with it. Life’s short, right? I mean, Damian...well fuck, he grew up didn’t he? He’s an adult. You’re an adult.”

“I’m so much _older_ then him.”

“Age is just a number.” Jason’s voice was oddly serious, and when Dick glanced up, his cocky grin was gone. “Damian’s eighteen. And there have been worse age gaps.” Dick leaned his head back down, into Jason, finding the crook of his neck- the familiar scent of his cologne and cigarettes and soap. It hadn’t changed in the years he’d known him. It was calming, if he was honest.

“I’m supposed to be like his older brother.” Jason reached his other arm around Dick, held him for a second, playing with the ends of his hair, his phone forgotten next to him on the couch.

“Roles change,” he offered, “Don’t let it eat at you, Dick.” Dick mumbled something, and Jason rolled his eyes. “I’m serious. You two looked...well, pretty damn at peace sleeping. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the kid like that. Maybe this is good for you. And him.”

Dick glanced up, pulled back from Jason’s embrace and raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know what it is,” he admitted.

“Who cares? You don’t _need_ to know. Just let it happen. Enjoy the ride.” Jason grabbed his phone, unlocking it. “So, you want this picture, or not?”

Dick sucked on his lip for a second, before nodding, watching as Jason opened up his contact to text him to him. “Jay?”

“Hmmm?”

“Don’t...don’t tell Bruce, okay? _Please_? If he’s gonna know I...I’ve gotta be the one to talk to him about it.” Jason glanced up, and for a moment, Dick actually saw hesitation in his eyes, but then,

“Yeah Dickie, no problem. My lips are sealed.”

*

Damian was angrily piling his books on his desk when Dick came in, followed swiftly by Titus, who bounded over to the bed, jumping up onto it and stretching out. Damian ignored them for a second, until was saying, “You okay?”

“I would like to throw Todd from the rooftop,” he admitted, and it was _true_. He was incredibly angry, and he couldn’t even be sure as to _why_ , other than he found Jason’s teasing insufferable.

But it couldn’t be that he was simply upset he had been forced to move before he was ready.

Certainly not that he had been quite enjoying being snuggled up to Dick.

“Fair enough.” Dick sat down on the edge of the bed, Titus eyeing him for a minute. Damian didn’t look at him, dropping another book on his desk. “What are you doing?”

“I will be finished with my course work for this semester soon. I want to have the books I no longer need ready for Pennyworth to dispose of.” Dick rolled his eyes.

“You make it sound like he’ll be burning them. Stop for a second and c’mere.” Damian paused, dropping another book, then turned, walking over. Dick smiled at him, reaching out to take his hands and tug him in, between his legs. “Are you angry that Jason saw us?”

Damian was quiet for a moment, then, “No. I do not care.” Dick nodded.

“Okay, good start. Then why are you angry?”

“Grayson, I do not want to talk this out right now.” Dick squeezed his hands, pulling him in even closer.

“C’mon little D. Use your words.” Damian huffed. _Insufferable, the both of them_.

“That we were interrupted,” he finally admitted. Dick’s smile grew, and Damian rolled his eyes. “Stop _smiling_ Grayson.”

“Sorry, it’s hard when you’re so adorable-“

“I am not-“ he was cut off when Dick fell back onto the bed, pulling Damian with him. The teen sprawled out over him, felt Dick laughing, and pulled a hand free, reaching up and covering Dick’s face, muffling the laughter. “I hate you.”

“Really now?” Dick managed, tilting his head and freeing himself.

“Yes.”

Dick hummed, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Damian, who relaxed into his hold, resting against his chest. “You’re not very convincing.”

“I will end you.” Dick burst out laughing then, and Damian clutched at the blankets beneath them, nestled into his chest, could hear the faint rhythm of his heart beneath his laughter. Next to them, Titus had lifted his head, was watching them both.

“Yeah,” Dick said, “Yeah, you damn well might.”

Damian sucked his lip into his mouth, didn’t respond. He closed his eyes instead, trying to swallow down the strange feeling in his belly and chest- that feeling of weightlessness, of beating wings. That feeling of affection that he wasn’t sure he was entirely comfortable with, yet seemed unable to shake for Dick.

*

“Look, we can tip the police to the place, let them search it. You have your link, let them question her Bruce.”

Dick was standing in the cave, watching Bruce suit up- thankful that Damian hadn’t come down to join them yet. Somehow, their conversation had been put off all night, the afternoon turning to dinner- which had been a near family affair, and Dick couldn’t help but miss Tim, wish he would leave his tower and his Titans for a few days- had turned into Bruce disappearing, preoccupied.

“Crane will run,” he said, “I want him back in Arkham, before he causes real harm. He’ll just find a new supplier.”

“I don’t want to do it anymore.” Bruce stopped, looked up at Dick. “I feel...weird.”

“You feel weird going on a date?” Dick shrugged a shoulder.

“Yeah, maybe I do. Besides, what good am I going to be now? What else can I get from her? It’s not like I’ve been invited back up to her place or-“ Dick stopped, knew the look Bruce was giving him. “Bruce. I am not sleeping with her just to get a look around.” Bruce said nothing, pulling his cowl up, and Dick gritted his teeth. “No, dammit, you are not leaving yet. I’m not-“

“Why not? You act as if neither of us haven’t played this game before. People find you attractive, Dick. Use it to your advantage.” Dick huffed a sigh, turning away. He had nothing else to say to Bruce, if the man wasn’t going to listen.

He needed to brain storm his options.

*

“Did Grayson leave?” Damian asked, as he adjusted his cape. Jason was sitting at the main computer monitor, tapping his fingers. Sidelined, still, while his gunshot healed. Even if he, quite openly, disagreed.

“Yes.” Damian frowned, and Jason caught it, couldn’t help but smirk because he was in the loop, finally.

Damian tried not to think about the fact that Dick had left without so much as a goodnight, and grabbed for his mask, securing it. He had other matters to attend to- an entire sweep of the city, which with just he and his father, wouldn’t be easy. Nor fast.

They split, Damian taking the more residential areas of Gotham. He knew it was because his father was damn near _sure_ he wouldn’t run into much trouble there, which he found irritating. He was more then ready to face Crane, or any of Gotham’s rogue gallery. He had grown up with them, had been doing this since he was a child. His father was simply playing this far too close to his chest.

Damian dropped down the fire escape of one apartment building, glancing in the window of the next- and stopped, recognizing the shape of the man moving within the apartment. Knew his movements by heart.

_Grayson_.

He scrunched his face up. Dick did not live here- he knew where Dick’s apartment was, quite a ways away. He was about to ask his father, when he saw Dick reach into his pocket, looking at his phone, and then hurrying for the door, slipping out, gone from sight. Too curious, Damian moved quietly, to the other end of the fire escape, peeking out around the building’s corner-

Dick was walking out, calling out to a woman getting out of her car. _What is he doing this late_? He smiled at her, an arm going around her shoulders-

And then he was leaning in, kissing the corner of her mouth. She laughed, turned and grabbed his collar, tugging him in for a proper kiss, and Damian felt his stomach twisting into impossible knots. Was she- well, who _was she_?

He felt a shake, realized it was _him_ , he was trembling, and turned, shooting a grappling hook up to the top of this woman’s apartment building, making his way up, away from the scene. Didn’t want to see whatever they were doing- heard their voices as they disappeared into the building.

He felt sick to his stomach, like his ribs were shattering, caving in on his organs. _Who was she_! What was Dick doing-

Was she- did Dick have a girlfriend? Damian had never thought to ask, would have expected if that were the case, Dick would have spoken up. He knew the man’s track record for romances, though, and wondered if- perhaps-

Just maybe, Dick had chosen to keep her a secret from Damian. That maybe Damian was the _other_ in this equation.

It was stupid, foolish, because they weren’t anything- he knew it. He and Dick were simply- what, a physical release that he had been thinking about since he’d hit puberty and he realized just how _pretty_ Dick’s smile was? Forget that stupid rush of affection he felt around the man, the inane calm that fell over him when Dick would hold him-

Damian shook his head, taking off in a run, aiming for the next building over. He didn’t bother with a grappling hook, although his landing was rough, coming down hard on one knee and feeling a sharp pain shoot up his thigh. No matter. He needed to get away from it. From that building, from whatever was going on inside.

He needed to get away from Dick, before he realized that he was _hurting_.

*

Damian felt out of his skin, could not reason with the ache in his belly. He avoided his phone and Dick’s texts- made a point to take Titus for a drive into Gotham, for a walk in the central park, to keep out of the Manor. He did not want to see him, and could not reason with himself what the problem was.

Skipping dinner that first night had not been shocking- and apparently his silence on patrol was not either. But when he refused to leave his room the following day, his door was pushed open without a knock come afternoon, Jason walking in as if it were, in fact, _his room_.

“Okay kid,” he said, speaking to the back of Damian’s head. He was sitting at his desk, thumbing through a book, although he was barely reading. He had a paper due soon that he had not even started, nor could he find the willpower to. “I’m used to Bruce brooding. But you’ve been taking after him since yesterday, and it’s weirding me out.”

“Why are you even here, Todd?” Damian asked, without turning around. Next to him, his phone lay, facedown. He had not looked at it in hours. He did not want to. That morning Dick ahd texted him, asked to see him, and Damian had told him he was too busy. To _please not come by_.

“Hey, I’m family,” Jason said, walking over and leaning onto the back of Damian’s chair. “And as _family_ , I notice when you stop acting like an actual human being, and turn into a mini-Bruce.” Damian rolled his eyes, and Jason reached out for his phone, grabbing it. “So what’s gotten into you, kid?”

“Put that down,” Damian said, as Jason unlocked, frowning.

“You know Dick has texted you like, seven times, right?” Damian shrugged a shoulder, and Jason set the phone back down. “Don’t tell me trouble in paradise.”

“There was no _paradise_ Todd. Now, _please_. I am trying to work.” Jason shook his head, standing up and grabbing Damian’s chair, jerking it back from the desk. Damian gave a surprised gasp, and Jason jerked it again, turning it so he could get down on a knee, staring directly into Damian.

“Listen kid, I saw the look in Dick’s eyes when he talked about you to me. There was paradise for _one_ of you at least.” His frown deepened. “Dick is one of my best friends Damian, so you’re going to start talking _right now_.”

“He was with a woman.” Jason hadn’t expected to kid to talk- and not before he had even finished getting his words out. But Damian stared down at him- and were those eyes _hurt_? “While I was on patrol, I saw him with a woman.”

Jason sucked on his tongue for a second. “Well, then there has to be an explanation. What did he say?” Damian said nothing, and Jason huffed out his breath. “You didn’t talk to him, did you?”

“No.”

“Well, guess what? Step one in a relationship is _communication_ kiddo, and you’re not even following step one.”

“This is not a relationship.” Jason rolled his eyes.

“You know what, I’m not fighting you on whatever it is or isn’t right now. You and Dickie can figure that out. But you shouldn’t be avoiding him. Dick’s not...look. He’s a good guy. I know he’s definitely had a _past_ , but he never did anything to intentionally hurt any of us. If he did, Babs would have kicked his ass to kingdom come long ago. But they’re _friends_. We’re _friends_.” Jason sighed, standing up. “Just talk to him. And I don’t mean with this.” He picked Damian’s phone up, waving it slightly. “I mean in person.”

“But-“

“ _Right now_. Whatever you’re doing can wait.”

“I have-“

“Patrol? Jesus kid, I’ll go instead. The old Bat can’t keep me locked up forever. It’s just a bullet wound, _I’ve seen worse_.” Damian stared at Jason for a moment, before, “That was a joke. You can laugh, you know.”

“Perhaps if you were funny, Todd.” Jason rolled his eyes, tossing Damian’s phone into his lap.

“Whatever. Just go fucking talk to Dick, okay? I do not want to deal with him crying on my shoulder and eating an entire tub of ice cream, okay? You have no idea how annoying he is after break ups. I’m going to go find your dad and pull you off the roster for the night.”

Damian didn’t get another word in, Jason was leaving him, sitting there alone, feeling- well, _childish_.

*

He didn’t feel any better, an hour later, walking from his car down the street towards Dick’s apartment. It had started to rain, the skies dark, near black, and he was tugging his hood up too late, water droplets settled in his dark hair already. This was ridiculous, he truly didn’t even know why he was bothering-

Climbing the stairs two at a time, heart pounding against his ribs. There was no reason for this- he was simply going to get to the bottom of this matter. Perhaps Jason had some sense, and he should have simply _discussed_ this with Dick.

Perhaps he was more afraid of what Dick might say, then anything else. Or the fact that this had bothered him at all.

Which was ultimately foolish. He was a trained assassin, he was _Robin_. Someday, he would take the mantle as Batman. He was not afraid.

It was a lie that even he didn’t believe.

He hesitated at the door for a minute, before knocking. There was silence for a moment, before he could hear Dick rummaging around, the locks on the door, and then it was opening-

Dick’s eyes widened a little. “Dami?” Damian shifted, saying nothing, and the older man stepped aside. “Uh, you wanna come in?”

He stepped inside, heard Dick closing the door behind him, the lock _clicking_.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” Dick started, “Well, ever. You’ve been busy I guess-“

“I’ve been avoiding you,” Damian said, matter of factly as he walked away from the door, past the kitchenette and into Dick’s living room. His television was off, and set on his cluttered coffee table was his laptop. He reached out, ran his hand along the couch, didn’t know where to put himself.

“Avoiding me?” Dick asked, following him, hanging back a step. “Okay. Uhm, why?” Damian took a breath, damned the anxiety under his skin, before,

“I saw you with a woman.” Dick furrowed his brow, for a second, before the realization flashed over his face and he stepped closer.

“Okay,” he started, reaching out, touching Damian’s arm, wanting him to turn, _to look at him_. “I can explain.” Damian turned but didn’t look at him, and Dick felt something crushing in his chest. He looked so much _younger_ in that moment, with his heavy blue eyes, the fact that he looked- well, almost on the verge of crying.

Dick could count on one hand the times in his life Damian Wayne had cried, to his knowledge.

“Fuck, c’mere,” he whispered, pulling Damian in. The teen didn’t fight it, pressed his face into Dick’s chest, nuzzling into his tshirt, Dick’s arms locking around him. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.” Damian wanted to respond, to tell Dick not to _coddle him_ , but he didn’t trust opening his mouth, was concentrating on breathing, on the sweet fruity scent underneath Dick’s shirt, on his skin.

Dick squeezed him, resting his chin down on Damian’s hood, the rain droplets cold on his skin. Only when he thought Damian might have regained a bit of his composure did he gently push him back by his shoulders. “Let’s sit down,” he whispered, and Damian didn’t argue, walked around and sat down on the couch, pulling his hood off. Dick sat next to him. “I wanted to tell you,” he started, folding his hands and leaning forward a little, an attempt to keep from reaching out, from touching the boy. “Bruce has had me working on the Crane case with him- without you guys knowing. He found a few possible connections at Gotham General, and wanted me to investigate his top suspect. He uh- he suggested I sorta...date her, I guess.” Dick looked down at the floor. “I mean, it’s not the first time I’ve used anything like romance or sex to get information, but...I guess admitting it sounds weird.”

Damian sat quietly, watching Dick, who sighed.

“I did want to tell you. Hell, I wanted everyone to know. I don’t know why it had to be a secret from the family. And it was strictly for the case- I swear it. I’m guessing you,” Dick licked his lips, “Saw me at her apartment, while you were on patrol.” Damian nodded. “Okay. Well, your dad and I had a...talk about it. I told him I wanted him to close the case, bring in the GCPD, and we could work on getting Crane in the chaos, or after. I just...didn’t want to keep the charade up, ya know? He disagreed, so...I decided I needed to do something drastic- or I was going to end up taking this somewhere I definitely _didn’t_ want to, or disappointing Bruce.” Dick leaned back. “So I broke into her apartment. I knew she was working, and that it was close to the end of her shift, so I sent her a text and told her I was waiting at her complex as a surprise. I knew she’d text me with enough time to get me out of her apartment.” He unfolded his hands, rubbing them along his thighs. “It was a bit risky but- I think it paid off.” He jerked his head towards his laptop. “I snagged her thumb drive. Copied everything off it and managed to get it back to her this morning, when we got coffee. I’ve been going through the files on and off since yesterday.”

Damian said nothing still, glanced at the computer, then back at Dick.

“I didn’t mean for this to upset you,” Dick finally said, “and I-“

“I’m not upset.” Dick frowned.

“Damian, that’s a lie. A very bad one, too. You _are_.”

“No, I am not. I simply wanted an explanation. If I were upset it would mean...” he trailed off, glancing away, and Dick dared to slide a little closer.

“It’d mean what, Dami?”

The teen sucked on his lower lip, then, “It’d mean this was something it is not.” Damian felt Dick closing his hands over one of his owns, moved to pull away, but couldn’t. His thumb stroked over Damian’s knuckles.

“It doesn’t have to...not.” Dick shook his head then, laughing at himself. “Oh my god, I sound pathetic. I’m sorry Damian. Forget I said anything.” He went to move away, but then Damian was reaching, grabbing one wrist, his other hand tangling with Dick’s, holding his gaze. Dick swallowed, felt his stomach going to butterflies instantly under those eyes, felt himself speaking before he even knew he could form _words_. “I care about you, Damian. A _lot_. So let’s just...leave this as it is.”

Damian felt his chest caving in- a feeling he was not familiar with, one that made it hard to breathe. He tugged Dick closer, realized that it was because he didn’t _like_ Dick’s answer.

Maybe he wanted this to be something.

Maybe he wasn’t entirely sure who he was in that moment, but that Dick’s word left him wanting something that he felt was about to be ripped from his fingers.

“Why?” His voice was soft, softer then he meant- but to speak up was to risk his voice wavering. That was worse.

“Because, it’s better for you that way.” Dick gave him a small, sad smile. “I’m too old for you, Damian. If you just want...wanna fuck around, then it doesn’t matter all that much. But you deserve someone closer to your age. You’ll get bored with an old man like me.” He tried to laugh, but Damian remained silent.

“Your age is irrelevant,” he started, “especially to me. You act as if you are old enough to be my _father_. You are not.” Damian leaned in closer.

“Still. I’m like your-“

“You have been a number of things, Grayson. Do you want me to list them?” Dick said nothing, could feel his breath beginning to catch in his throat. “You have been my brother, my...mentor. You have been, shockingly at times, a bit of sanity within the family for me to grasp. You...you have been my friend.” Damian leaned up more, so close now that when he spoke, Dick could feel his breath. “You have been my _Batman_. Perhaps...our partnership need not end.”

This time, Dick’s breath did catch, and Damian closed to gap, kissing himself. Softly, slowly, the gentlest glide of his lips.

“I feel a strange affection for you, Grayson,” he admitted, against his lips. Dick felt his hands shaking, had to pull them from Damian, reached for the boy to clutch at him, wrap his arms around him in the hopes that it might steady him. All it did was make it even more obvious.

“Dami,” he whispered, closed his eyes for a moment. “I...” he shook his head, didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to tell the kid that he loved him, in what felt like a thousand different ways.

Instead he just kissed him, again, clutching at his back until Damian was flush against him, one arm locking around his shoulders, the other reaching up, thumb stroking Dick’s cheek. Dick kissed him breathless, until they were stealing breaths between wet slides of their lips, until he was turning Damian, pushing him back into the couch cushions, hearing him give the faintest of whimpers around his tongue.

“Add another title to the list,” Damian urged, when Dick finally pulled back, glancing down at his wet, kiss swollen lips.

“Like what?”

The younger was quiet for a moment, before, hesitantly, “Lover?” It sounded almost strange, rolling off Damian’s tongue- but Dick didn’t dislike it. In fact, he smiled slightly.

“You know, I could _technically_ be that just from our...intimate experiences.” Damian furrowed his brow, and Dick’s smile grew.

“Then what would you like?”

The smile turned into a grin. “Boyfriend is still a relevant term, you know.” Damian tipped his head back, huffing out his breath.

“You sound like a _child_ , Grayson. I was being serious-“

“So was I.” Dick leaned in, kissed just below Damian’s jaw, once. “You can think of me however you want, okay? The term doesn’t matter. It’ll mean the same thing.” Another soft kiss.

“Then you-“

“-Are absolutely crazy, and should probably be sent to Arkham for getting into this mess.” He kissed up towards Damian’s ear, adding, “And yes, I’m saying I care about you too, Damian. I always have.” He nosed at his hair, let Damian’s arms wrap around him, the teen leaning forward, pressing into his chest, closing his eyes. Dick managed to get both his arms around him, held him, closing his own eyes for a moment.

Yes, he was absolutely insane. But, he could handle it.

Just like perhaps Damian could handle acknowledging the affection he held for Dick, deep down in the core of his bones.


	6. Chapter 6

“You should get back to the Manor,” Dick said, later that evening, “before anyone wonders what happened to you.”

They were stretched out on the couch, Damian between Dick’s legs, back against his chest. Dick was idly clicking through the television. Had a nasty habit of changing the channel during any sort of commercial break. Not that it had been on long, however. The rain had continued, turned into quite a storm outside, thankfully having kept from a true down pour until Dick had returned from a run to get them dinner. His little kitchen table was still littered with the Thai take out containers, even if it had been well over an hour.

“And I should get these files to Bruce,” he added, glancing at his laptop. “Some of them are encrypted, and I can’t open them.”

“No one will wonder,” Damian said, “Todd assured me he could convince father to keep me from patrol this evening.”

“Jason was going to convince Bruce? Oh god, I would probably pay to hear that conversation.” Then a moment later, “Wait, why did Jason-“

“He was the one who encouraged me to come talk to you.” Damian lifted his hand, fingers idly playing along the bones in Dick’s, which lay on his belly. “He seemed concerned you would become...insufferable if I did not.”

Dick was quiet for a second, then, “He said I’d eat a lot of ice cream, didn’t he?”

“Among other things.” Dick laughed, rolling his eyes.

“Remind me later that I’m saying this, because honestly I won’t believe it- I’ll have to thank Jay.” His hand pressed into Damian’s shirt, a gentle squeeze. “Considering who knows how long you would have avoided me otherwise.”

Damian _scoffed_ , leaning his head back more and glancing back at the television as the sound suddenly cut out, a banner appearing across the top of the screen, warning of the high risk of floods due to heavy rainfall. As if on queue, there was a roll of thunder, and Damian could hear the rain picking up.

“I don’t believe we’re returning home anytime soon,” Damian pointed out, “You will have to wait to get your computer to father until tomorrow.” Dick sighed.

“Guess you’re staying the night then,” he added, leaning down to kiss at Damian’s hair. The younger boy smiled- he had nothing against that.

*

While Dick knew he _should_ have gone out in the storm anyway, there were just too many things that were nice about lounging around with Damian, about the fact that there was suddenly...an understanding, of sorts. About what all this was.

Not that it needed a label, but Dick couldn’t _deny_ that he wanted it to have something, that his affection for Damian had undergone the fastest transformation of anything he’d ever seen. Or maybe, this sort of love that was _definitely_ no brotherly had just been lying dormant, waiting for the chance to finally appear.

Damian had disappeared into his room while Dick clicked the television off, checking to make sure the windows were secure- the rain was still pelting down, heavy sheets that made it hard to see in the light from the streetlights outside. Dick pulled the curtains closed, tugging his phone from his pocket as he double checked the door.

_Is the batbrat with you?_ It was from Jason, well over an hour ago. Dick figured Jason assumed Damian was, as there were no other messages, or frantic calls.

_Yeah he’s here. Staying. Shitty weather out there_.

By the time he had the door checked, Jason had already responded.

_Okay. B wanted to know. We’re staying in too._ Dick raised an eyebrow, thought that just sounded _strange_ , but chose not to respond, making his way to his bedroom instead.

Damian hadn’t turned a light on, but Dick could see him, standing by the other side of the bed, tugging his tshirt off over his head. It was actually early- considering their typical nights, and Dick wasn’t even quite sure he was tired-

Especially when Damian turned to him, his thumbs hooked in the waistband of his underwear, jeans already long gone. Dick swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to move, as Damian smiled, small, playful.

“You alright, Grayson?” he asked, finally tugging them down, stepping out of them and turning, giving Dick a view of his ass. Dick nearly swallowed his tongue.

“Brat,” he finally breathed out, striding towards the bed, phone dropped somewhere on the way. He crawled on as Damian turned back to him, reaching up to hook a hand behind his neck and pull him down, kissing him- open mouthed and heavy. Damian fell into it, one hand sinking into Dick’s hair, toying with the feathery locks, loving the way Dick licked his way into his mouth, teased his lower lip.

“ _Your brat_ ,” Damian corrected, and suddenly he was being dragged down to the bed, Dick tangling in with him, managing to get on top of him and pin him into the sheets. Damian bucked up against him, growled because Dick was still fully clothed, as Dick sucked on his neck, pulling blood to the surface, turning skin an angry red that promised to be a bruise come morning.

“Probably,” Dick breathed, “Probably don’t say you’re _mine_ unless-“

“ _Yours_ ,” Damian breathed again, couldn’t stop himself, felt Dick’s teeth digging into his skin, below the tender spot he had sucked into his neck, and gave a sharp cry, pushing up. Dick’s jeans were rough against his skin, and he reached up at Dick’s back, clawing at his shirt. “ _Off_ ,” he gasped, and Dick pushed himself up, tearing his shirt off over his head and tossing it away, before coming back down, sucking along Damian’s collar bone.

The teen’s head was spinning. Dick’s mouth was distracting him from any rational thought, and _he let it_ , didn’t fight it. Didn’t fight the fuzzy sort of heat in his belly that flared every time he said he was Dick’s- god, when had that become a thing? When had he suddenly become okay with the idea of _belonging_ to someone?

Maybe, if he was honest, he’d know he’d always been Dick’s, ever since he was a kid. Maybe, if he could think, he might reason that he had always been alright with the idea of this man having a power over him- because he _trusted_ Dick, to a point that he trusted no one else.

Dick had moved back up to his mouth now, was kissing him in that wet, almost sloppy way that Damian honestly _liked_ , and Damian tried to roll them over, got as far as their sides before Dick was stopping him, grabbing at his shoulder and pushing up flush against him.

“Careful,” he breathed, nearly laughing, “my bed isn’t as big as yours. Not really interested in taking this to the floor.”

Damian stared at him for a minute, before the slightest color rose up on his cheeks. Dick grinned at him, leaning in and kissing the tip of his nose, hand brushing up along his arm and shoulder, his neck, to his cheek.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered, now with a kiss to the bridge of his nose. “I’m glad Jason talked you into coming.” Now, the spot between his eyebrows. “I’m glad I get you for the night.” His forehead, and Damian finally furrowed his brow, squirming.

“Grayson _stop_.” He heard Dick chuckle. “This is childish.”

“This is _affection_ , Damian. It’s not childish.” A kiss to his temple. “You’re the one that said you had _affection_ for me.”

Damian opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again, the color in his cheeks deepening. It was hard to see in the dark, but as Dick’s cheek brushed along Damian’s, he could feel the heat. It only made him smile harder. “Do not make me regret that, Grayson.”

“Okay,” Dick breathed, planting one more kiss to his cheek. “Okay, sorry. Now,” he leaned down, gently lapping his tongue over the spot he had sucked into Damian’s neck earlier, “where were we?”

Damian tipped his head back, felt his cock twitch, ache, over the dull pain that throbbed in that one spot. “You were hopefully taking those horrid jeans off.”

Dick chuckled, hands reaching down to fumble with the button, the zipper, as he gently sucked another spot along Damian’s neck. The little noises he kept making were driving Dick wild, made his hands shake as he tried to hook his fingers under all his clothing and shove them down. He had to pull away to properly squirm out of everything, chuck it all off the bed, and Damian took the chance to roll onto his back, pushing up into the pillows.

When Dick came back, he laid between Damian’s legs, resting on him and seeking him out for another kiss. He squirmed gently, was about to rock his hips in the hopes of getting a breathy moan from the boy beneath him, when Damian moved his kisses to the corner of his mouth, before pulling back.

“Would you have been intimate with her?” Dick leaned back, quirking up an eyebrow, confused. Damian glanced away. “If you had to-“

“Oh god,” Dick said, “Damian, stop. Don’t. No. I wouldn’t have- I mean, I wouldn’t now.” Dick knew that, had he not had Damian constantly looming in the back of his mind, then yes, he very well would have slept with his target, if it meant gaining the access he needed. But that was _before_ -

Well, before this glorious sort of mess.

Damian nodded, once, and Dick felt his chest growing tight. It was easy to forget that this kid thrived on praise, on reassurance- that he never asked for, that he told off with sarcasm and light threats. But Dick _knew_ him, had watched him grow up, had watched the light in his eyes when he was told what a good job he did.

“You’re all I want,” Dick whispered, pressing his forehead to Damian’s. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Dick closed his eyes for a moment, thought about kissing Damian again, to keep him from questioning anymore, to silence his worries, when, “Can we...” he trailed off, and Dick opened his head, leaning back, saw the color was back in Damian’s cheeks.

“Uh, thought that was the plan,” Dick pointed out, “I mean, if this is any indication.” Carefully, he rocked his hips into Damian’s, rubbed his erection into Damian’s. The teen inhaled, sharply, let his eyelids flutter.

“No,” Damian finally managed, his mind having trouble grasping at words- at what he was about to ask. “I mean...” He swallowed. “Would you fuck me, Grayson?”

Of all the things Damian could have asked, that was about at the bottom of the list of things Dick was expecting. In fact, it wasn’t even _on_ the list. Without meaning to, Dick rocked his hips again, and Damian groaned, spreading his thighs further.

“Dami- how did you even,” he felt the teen hook one leg back along his, “ _think_ of that?”

“You forget I am not a child. Sex is not some mystery to me.” Dick sucked on his tongue, thought about the fact that he’d had to instruct Damian on how to suck his cock- and well, he wasn’t so sure it lacked the mystery Damian seemed to think it did.

“Are you sure though? We don’t have to-“

“I _want_ you to, Grayson.” Dick stared down at him, felt one of Damian’s hands curling up behind his neck.

“Yeah,” he whispered, knowing there was no way he could deny a request like that- that he could deny Damian _anything_ , “yeah, okay.” He leaned down, kissing the corner of Damian’s mouth. “But we’re doing this my way, alright? Slow.”

“I’m-“

“Not a little doll, I know. But still.” Another kiss, this time to his chin- then down his throat again. Damian tipped his head back, allowed Dick his trail of slow, wet kisses along his collar bone, chest. When his mouth closed over one pale nipple, Damian’s body jerked in a way the teen hadn’t been braced for, a little broken sound escaping his lips, before he could suck the lower one into his mouth, silencing himself. Dick’s tongue rolled over the sensitive nub, before he pulled away, continuing his kisses down Damian’s ribs, along his navel.

He kissed the length of one of Damian’s heavier scars, and Damian pushed himself up, wanting to see, to watch those lips mold over the break in his skin. Dick’s hands grabbed at his waist, held him still as he kissed towards one hip, some of his hair dusting against Damian’s aching cock.

Damian worried his lip to the point of near blood. He had seen this, had seen this play out countless time behind closed eyelids, in his dreams. This was different from the last time Dick had done this, wasn’t desperate and needy- he was going so _slow_ , as one hand released Damian’s waist to cradle his cock, Dick finally moving up, pressing his mouth to the side of the base, glancing up with those ridiculous eyes. Damian held the stare, as Dick mouthed his way up his shaft, tongue lapping once over the head of his cock before those pink lips opened, and he sucked the head into his mouth.

Damian released his lip, exhaled, couldn’t push up because of Dick’s other hand at his waist- squeezing, silently telling him to _be still_. Dick sucked lazily, his hand stroking at his tongue laved attention just under the head of Damian’s cock. His skin was salty, flavored with pre-cum, and Dick couldn’t get enough, finally swallowing him deeper. Damian’s cock slid over his tongue, towards the back of his through, before he pulled back, pulling almost entirely off before swallowing again.

Damian felt his heart hammering up into his throat, couldn’t fathom the way that this man utterly undid him. Each slow slide of his mouth felt like _too much_ , and Damian wasn’t sure how he had even gotten to this point already, so aroused that his spine was tingling-

Maybe Dick’s jokes about his _short fuse_ had some merit.

“Grayson,” he breathed, as Dick pulled off, choosing to lave his tongue down Damian’s length, to the base, then back up. “If you do not,” he paused, trying to breathe as Dick lapped at the head, tongue teasing his slit, slick with pre-cum, “stop, I’ll...”

“You’ll cum?” Dick whispered, pressing his mouth to the bundle of nerves just beneath the head, sucking gently. Damian _whined_ , and Dick couldn’t suppress his shiver, or the way his cock ached, pressed between his body and the bed. “Good.”

“But-“

“Trust me,” he whispered, “I’m still going to fuck you. But I want you to cum first, Dami.” He opened his mouth then, closing his eyes and swallowing him deep, those lazy movements becoming driven, pointed, and Damian tipped his head back, breath coming quickly.

He did trust Dick. Truly. And perhaps that was what had him tipping over the edge all the faster, coming absolutely undone with a string of groans, as Dick swallowed around his cock.

Damian closed his eyes, felt that sweet post-orgasmic hum running through his body, felt Dick pulling off his cock and kissing his hip once. He was relaxed, almost liquid like under his skin, and when Dick urged him to roll over, Damian listened without question, pressing his face into one of Dick’s pillows.

It smelled like his shampoo, fruity, _sweet_ , and Damian breathed in deep, felt Dick shifted, rubbing his hands along the backs of his thighs.

“I want you to keep trusting me, Damian,” he whispered, hands rubbing up higher, onto his ass, over it to the small of his back, thumbs pressing into the little dimples at the base of his spine. Damian nodded, and Dick smiled because he could feel how relaxed he was, not only in the way muscles gave easily under his hands, but by his silence, the subtle movements as he nestled into the pillows.

He leaned down, kissed the base of the boy’s spine, his hands moving back to his ass. Damian gave a little please sound, and Dick grazed his teeth along the flesh of his ass, testing the waters- Damian shifted, pushing himself up slightly.

“Grayson?”

“Tell me to stop,” Dick whispered, “if I do anything you don’t like. But trust me, Dami. I just want you to feel good.” Damian swallowed, nodded, lowered himself back down into the pillows, just to have Dick part flesh, exhale against his hole. Damian tensed for a moment- would have, far more, if he wasn’t still in his post-orgasmic glow- then gave a very surprised, muffle cry when Dick’s tongue lapped against his hole.

He opened his mouth to say something, _anything_ , to ask Dick _what the hell_ he thought he was doing, but the sounds were muffled by the pillows, words forgotten as Dick continued to run his tongue along him- because it felt _good_.

Dick’s fingers dug gently into his ass, his tongue switching and tracing around the ring of muscle. He felt Damian shifting, pushing back against him, could hear those little muffled sounds. Sounds he was sure Damian would never admit to making, little whines and even a _whimper_ as Dick’s tongue threatened to push past the muscle.

He let one hand run up to the base of Damian’s spine, rubbing soothingly as he did push his tongue inside, Damian’s head tipping up, back, his gasp sharp enough that Dick wondered if he’d ever breath again.

When he did pull his mouth away, satisfied that Damian was, in a way, still relaxed, the teen groaned, pushing himself up on his elbows.

“What-“

“Just keeping you relaxed,” Dick offered, moving over him, pressing along his back as he reached for his nightstand, fumbling around blindly. Damian shifted, his ass rubbing right along Dick’s neglected erection, and Dick groaned, loudly, dropping his head down to rest on the back of Damian’s neck. “Making it hard to concentrate, little D.”

“Do you want an apology?” Damian licked his lips, purposefully lifting his hips again, letting Dick’s cock slide against his ass- shocking himself because it sent a rush of excitement through his own body.

“No,” Dick breathed, finally managing to close his hand around his bottle of lube and pulling back, pushing himself off of Damian, to settle back between his legs. He popped the bottle open, pouring a generous amount onto his fingers, before setting it aside, rubbing them against Damian’s hole. The teen shivered at the wet feeling, lifting himself up onto his knees, his face still buried in the pillows. Dick grinned. “I think I like you like this.”

He rubbed the back of one of Damian’s thighs, still rubbing against tight muscle with his slick fingers, applying more and more pressure every few seconds. When he felt sure enough, Dick carefully pushed one finger inside, slowly until he was in past his second knuckle. He heard Damian exhale.

“You okay?”

Damian was quiet for a second, before, “Yes.”

“Does it hurt?” Damian paused again, licking his lips, pushing himself up slightly.

“No.” Dick sighed, relieved- knew it shouldn’t, if he was doing his job right. And the last thing he wanted was to hurt Damian- especially in that moment.

Damian pressed his mouth into the pillow as Dick slowly moved his finger. There wasn’t any pain, wasn’t even really a sense of discomfort- the touch was simply alien, something Damian had never experienced before- though he wasn’t about to admit that to Dick in that moment. Damian wasn’t sure how he felt about the touch, until he felt the tip of a second finger pressing against his hole, and Dick’s hand squeezing the back of his thigh.

As it pressed in, Damian felt his body stretching, exhaled. He was tight around those fingers, could tell by the way Dick moved so slowly, by the methodical squeezing of his thigh.

“Still okay?”

“Yeah,” Damian breathed out, feeling a surge of heat in his belly. Realized it was starting to feel _good_. Behind him, Dick smiled, scissoring his fingers, forcing Damian’s body open wider for a brief second, and Damian moaned, pushed back against his fingers.

“Fuck,” Dick breathed, thrusting a bit faster. He wanted to see Damian push back again, fuck himself on his fingers-had to suck in a breath and hold it for a moment to calm himself over the thought. Against his belly, his cock was leaking, flushed- and he was somewhat worried he’d get two inches into the kid and completely lose himself, at this point.

He curled his fingers, and Damian felt him brushing along the walls of his body, new nerves waking up- until Dick hit a spot that had him twisting, crying out loudly, hands scrambling along the bed, trying to find something to hold onto. Dick grinned, curling them again, getting a breathy moan, before he pushed a third finger in, this time less slowly.

Damian pushed back against his fingers, and Dick pulled his hand away from Damian’s thigh, reaching down to grasp at himself, stroking slowly, unable to stand the lack of contact any longer. He groaned, as Damian pushed back again, his own cock swelling, feeling heavy between his legs.

“Gray-son,” he breathed, and Dick smirked.

“Keep fucking yourself like that,” he breathed, “and you’ll _kill_ me.” He stroked one more time, before pulling his hand off, reaching out to guide Damian back fully down to the bed. He pulled his fingers out- the teen whining, and _god it was such a good sound_ \- and grabbed at the lube, pouring some onto his palm. “You sure about this?”

“ _Absolutely_.” It was breathy, that single word, but so _sure_ , and Dick shivered, one hand helping to position Damian’s hips so they were lifted just slightly, the other stroking his now slick cock, holding the base as he leaned over his lover, pressing the head against his hole.

Damian tensed for a moment, before closing his eyes, telling his body to _relax_ , his muscles calming as Dick pressed forward, slipping ins slowly. Damian squeezed his eyes shut then, baring his teeth slightly into the pillow- not in pain, but at the larger stretch, at the way it was almost uncomfortable, but not quite there.

“I can stop,“ Dick whispered, pausing, half his shaft buried inside Damian’s body. His mind was reeling, screaming at him to push into that heat, to bury himself in it, but he could feel Damian tensing around him, didn’t want to hurt him.

“No,” Damian breathed, relaxing, pulling himself in and reminding himself this was _his body_ , under his control. “Please, no.”

Dick hung his head, pulling back a little, pushing again, this time until he was completely inside Damian’s body, the boy’s ass pressed right up against him. He exhaled, shaky, staring down at a scar that crossed over Damian’s shoulder, back between his shoulder blades. Beneath him, his lover shifted, once, then whispered,

“I’m okay.” Dick nodded, pulling back and thrusting back into him, setting a slow rhythm, the kind that gave Damian the chance to at least acclimate to the sudden stretch of his body, that feeling that Dick was filling him up-

He groaned after a few thrusts, the discomfort dissipating, turning back into that heat spreading in his belly. His cock had swelled completely, hard again, trapped beneath his body, against the sheets. He squirmed, trying to get some friction against the sheets, pushing back towards Dick to meet one of his thrusts.

The older man hissed, leaned his head down and bit at the back of Damian’s neck, teeth nearly breaking skin. Damian gave a cry, lifted his hips enough to meet his next thrust as well, feeling his muscles clench as pure arousal shot through him, stemming from each point of Dick’s teeth. Dick grinned into his skin, moving slightly to suck at the base of his neck, ready to leave his countless mark of the night.

Damian whined, swore he felt each bruise on his neck and collar bone throbbing as Dick did so, openly thrusting back against him now. Openly making all these obscene little noises that, for a moment, he hadn’t even realized were coming from him.

“On your back,” Dick panted, into his ear, and then he was pushing off, pulling out, and god, Damian _whimpered_ at being empty. He rolled over as Dick grabbed at his thigh, tugging, guiding him roughly, and then he was there, between his legs again, thrusting in and watching Damian arch his back right off the bed. Dick knew he could get deeper now, right into Damian’s body to have him screaming, just needed to-

He gripped at the boy’s thighs as he thrust in, hard, and found that spot he had been looking for, heard Damian utterly cry out, hands fisting in the bed beside him, arms outstretched. Dick grinned, hitting it again, driving in deep with each thrust until his own body was screaming at him, for release. A release he wanted to deny, wanted to see Damian come undone first.

Damian’s cock was laying against his belly, flushed, leaking, and Dick licked his lips. “Touch yourself.”

“What?” Damian breathed, body jostling with each thrust, lips swollen and wet, from Dick’s previous kisses, from Damian worrying them. Pupils wide, blown, cheeks flushed. He was a _mess_ , and it was one of the most beautiful things Dick had ever seen.

“Please,” Dick breathed, and Damian reached down, grasping his cock with one hand, while Dick thrust in, harder, hit that spot in such a way that Damian was seeing stars. He moaned, arched as he stroked, and Dick let his eyes roll back for a second. “Good boy,” he whispered, heard Damian give a throaty groan, and Dick wanted to devour him, was watching with starving eyes. “Get yourself off for me.”

“Grayson,” he breathed, was given a sharp thrust. He tightened his hold on his cock, could feel himself so close, tossing his head as Dick continued to thrust into him, with abandon now, fast and deep in ways that had Damian literally breathless.

“Fuck, fuck,” Dick was panting, couldn’t hold back now, couldn’t _stop_ with Damian squirming around beneath him, with the way he was so far gone, noises with every breath- not with the way he was so hot around him. Dick continued to curse, a mantra falling from his tongue as he pushed into Damian, felt a heat bursting inside him, and gave a loud moan, hips jerking as his orgasm gave him no warning. Damian gave a cry, felt that sudden wet heat, and a moment later was cumming himself, splashing hot pearly ropes along his belly, head falling back as he forgot how to breathe.

Dick clutched at his thighs, panting, staring down at him, at the utter _mess_ he was, watched as his body sagged into the sheets, going limp. Carefully, he pulled out, and Damian whined, the loss of contact, that fullness gone- could feel his thighs growing wet, sticky.

Dick collapsed next to him, reaching out and pulling Damian into his arms, tucking him under his chin. The teen didn’t fight it, fit in perfectly, closing his eyes and inhaled- sweat and the strangely calming scent of Dick’s skin- kissed once at his throat before nestling in.

“You,” Dick breathed, “are amazing.” Damian was quiet for a moment, his arms wrapping around Dick as well- clinging to him, not caring how obscenely filthy they both would become.

“You sound shocked,” Damian finally whispered, “You should have been aware of this.” Dick scrunched up his face, pulled Damian back enough to look at his face- and he was grinning, actually _grinning_. Dick laughed, tussling his already ruffled, sweat-damp hair.

“Little brat.” He leaned in, kissed his forehead, and Damian chuckled.

“That, you should be aware of, as well.”


	7. Chapter 7

When Damian woke up the next morning, the sound of rain outside had dissipated. He could faintly hear traffic, and for a moment it threw him. There was no traffic around the Manor-

Then, his _pillow_ shifted, and he remembered where he was- Dick’s apartment, said pillow actually being the older man’s chest. He lifted his head, glanced around the room for a moment, before looking at Dick, who was still fast asleep, wild locks of hair strewn all over his pillow.

Damian smiled, softly, tracing one of his fingers along Dick’s abdomen, watching the slight twitch to his lips, the movement of his eyes behind his eyelids. Smiled because there was something wonderful about waking up with Dick, about the way he looked when he slept- and the way he tried to hold onto Damian, even in his sleep.

He leaned down, pressed his mouth to Dick’s cheek, nosed his way up into his hair, kissed there too. Gave himself over to the strange pull of affection, because the man was asleep, because he could afford to indulge in this senselessness, for just a moment. Because his chest was tight, to the point of bursting, and he didn’t know how to _handle_ this.

Affection wasn’t something he had learned to deal with, as a child. Not at this level.

Dick stirred, as Damian nuzzled his hair, his pretty eyes opening, his arm tightening around his lover. “Mornin’,” he mumbled, felt Damian tensing, pulling away. He reached out with his other arm, wrapping it around him as well, pulling him in so he could nuzzle under Damian’s chin. “Hmmm, nope, you’re not going anywhere.”

“You weren’t-“

“Supposed to-“ he broke off to yawn, “wake up? Sorry ‘bout that, didn’t get the memo.” He smiled, kissed his jawline, before releasing Damian, letting the teen settle back into the pillows, to rake a hand back through his dark, short hair. “You sleep alright?” He nodded, and Dick smiled. “And you’re not...sore, are you?”

Damian furrowed his brows, clicking his tongue. “No Grayson, I’m perfectly fine. I’m-“

“Not a child. But you are a broken record.” He reached out, stroking Damian’s thigh as he rolled onto his side, choosing not to even sit up, but to flop back into the pillows. “Honestly, I uh...didn’t expect last night.”

“Why? It seemed the logical path, considering our sexual interactions.” Dick huffed.

“Just once, I wish you would talk like a normal person. Or, gee, I dunno, a teenager. And I’m shocked because I don’t know where you got the idea.”

“I’m not lacking knowledge about sex, Grayson.”

“Sweetie, I had to tell you how to suck my cock.” Damian’s cheeks flushed, from the pet name, from the reference to that evening in his room, to the notion that he hadn’t actually known what he was doing.

Damian tugged on the blanket, wringing it in his hands, before whispering, “I got the idea from Drake.”

That was about the last answer Dick expected. Damian simply kept surprising him. “You...what? You and Tim talk about sex?” Damian scrunched his face up.

“Mother of god, no. _No_. Just...well. He always seems to enjoy it when he has that meta of his fuck him...” Damian trailed off, and Dick openly gawked at him.

“Well, I mean- yeah, that’s not a lie. But how would you _know_.”

“I’ve shared a roof with him, and I have working ears. Honestly, I do not know how he does not keep the entire Manor up when he stays and brings that,” he paused, as if mulling over the possible words, then, “ _boyfriend_ of his with him.”

Dick stared for another minute, before he burst out laughing, hooking his arm over his face and burrowing into his pillow. Damian watched him, frowning.

“I don’t see what is so funny.”

“You...oh god, you’ve heard Tim and Kon? Does Tim know? Oh god he would be utterly red for weeks over this. _Oh my god_.” Dick continued to laugh, and Damian clicked his tongue again.

“I have, unfortunately. Truly, you all must be deaf.” Dick finally took a deep breath, throwing an arm over Damian’s lap and nuzzling into his lap. Damian let him, reached down to play with his hair.

“I feel like I should thank him for ever planting that idea in your head,” Dick admitted, and Damian paused for a moment, before,

“Perhaps we both should.” Dick glanced up, smiling, and Damian returned it.

*

Dick dragged himself from the bed shortly after, showering. When he was done, Damian took a turn, taking a moment to examine his neck and collar bone in the bathroom mirror, to prod at the bruises that were tender, a sweet sort of gorgeous-ugly. And definitely visible, unless he wore a turtleneck.

That didn’t bother him.

He stepped into the shower, glad to have the chance to get clean. Dick had tried to clean them off last night, before they collapsed into sleep, but it wasn’t the same, and Damian couldn’t help but feel slightly _obscene_ still. Not that it was a bad feeling.

He glanced at the bottles of soap and shampoo, frowning because everything was _pink_ , all the labels covered with fruits, flowers. He rolled his eyes, resigning himself to smelling just as fruity as Dick typically did, for the sake of being clean.

“I’ve got a towel for you,” Dick said, opening the door some minutes later. He moved to set it on the sink, only to hear the water shut off. He chose instead to lean his hip against the sink, watching as Damian pulled the curtain back, slicking his wet dark hair back.

“Everything is pink.” Dick quirked a brow, then glanced back at him, at the various bottles in his shower. He grinned.

“Who cares about the color when it smells good.”

“It smells like a nauseously strong fruit platter.” Dick laughed at that, shaking his head, and Damian folded his arms, glancing at the towel. “So, are you going to stand there-“

“Yup,” Dick broke in, taking a second to give Damian a once over, openly licking his lips at the rivets of water that made their way down his copper skin, alone the breaks the scars that littered his body left. When he glanced back up, Damian was frowning at him.

“Are you done?”

“I’m not sure I’ll ever be done,” Dick admitted, before pushing off the sink and taking another step towards him, handing him the towel. Damian took it with a roll of his eyes and a click of his tongue, stepping out of the shower and rubbing it along his chest. Dick reached out, fingers gently pressing along his neck, over one bruise. Damian hissed, lightly. “Fuck, I uh...must’ve gotten carried away.”

“I rather like them,” Damian admitted.

“Someone will definitely notice.”

“Good.” Dick sighed, shaking his head.

“Just as long as it’s not Bruce.” Damian frowned.

“You have a nasty habit of bringing up my father when I’m naked, Grayson.” Dick blushed, and Damian leaned in, pressing his finger to the center of Dick’s chest. “Don’t tell me I’m a little _surrogate_ for a childhood crush, Grayson.”

Dick floundered, gawked, began stammering, “I...what...Damian no.” Damian grinned, and Dick furrowed his brow. “Wait...are you teasing me?”

“I believe that is what you’d consider it, yes.” He leaned up, kissed his cheek once, before walking past Dick, out of the bathroom, still naked. Dick openly stared, thinking this kid would _definitely_ be the death of him.

*

Once Damian was dressed, the two of them headed out, down the street to Damian’s car, to make the trip back to the Manor. The skies were still grey, but the rain had definitely ceased, and Dick reminded Damian he needed to get his laptop to Bruce. Hadn’t even told him about the files he’d swiped.

Dick still felt weird with Damian driving, but he was getting used to it. Plus, he rather liked being able to lay his head back and just enjoy the ride.

It took longer than usual, the two hitting a few detours due to some flooding the night prior, but when they finally arrived, Dick couldn’t help but shoot a glance at Damian’s neck.

“Maybe you can...cover those, before anyone sees you,” he pointed out, and Damian scuffed.

“Or I could not.” And before Dick could retaliate, Damian was climbing out of the car. Dick groaned, fairly sure that at some point this day, he would be a dead man, and climbed out as well, slinging one strap of his bag over his shoulder. He followed Damian up the stairs and inside, closing the door what he _thought_ was quietly-

But there was a loud bark, and a moment later Titus was bounding from one hallway, happily over to Damian, arching up to put his paws up on his shoulders. Damian grinned, vigorously petting the dog’s shoulders, before he hopped down, moving over to Dick to press his body weight right into his legs. Dick stumbled a little, laughing nervously.

“Hello to you Titus.”

“Ah, Master Damian, Master Richard...thank god.” Alfred was rounding the corner from the same hallway, holding out at arm’s length Sasha, who was squirming. Without another word he pushed her against Damian’s chest, the other two kittens trailing behind him, pawing at the cuff of his pants. “Please, Master Damian, your pets have grown...restless without you.”

Damian settled Sasha up by his shoulder, let her cling to his shirt hands free as he stooped down, gathered up the other two kittens. They all squirmed happily, meowing at him, as Alfred brushed his hands down his sleeves.

“It is becoming a full-day job simply to keep cat fur from everything,” he offered with a sigh, then, “Good to see you two have made it home safely. I hear there was some flooding in the city.”

“We hit some detours,” Dick offered, watched as Alfred’s eyes flicked to Damian- and knew, _knew_ that Alfred saw the bruises, even if his face remained completely calm. “But, uh-“

“Grayson needs to speak with father,” Damian said, heading for the stairs. “I will be in my room.” He headed up the stairs, arms full of squirming kittens, Titus following happily behind him, and Dick glanced back at Alfred, who...had a rather bemused look on his face.

“I can explain-“

“I would rather you not, Master Richard.” Alfred held up a hand. “I have learned from Master Bruce that these explanations are often things my ears do not need to hear.” Dick flushed, reaching up to nervously rub the back of his neck.

“Mad?”

“Certainly not.”

“Judging me?”

“Perhaps your _judgement_ in the manner.” Dick nodded, exhaled.

“Yeah, alright. Fair. Anyway, Damian wasn’t lying, I really do need to see Bruce.” This time, Dick saw something flash across Alfred’s eyes- a sort of warning, almost. A bit of nerves.

“I...do believe Master Bruce is rather preoccupied this moment. Perhaps you should wait with Master Damian until he is free. I can even send him to you.” Dick shrugged a shoulder.

“Well uh, alright. Just let him know it’s really important, okay?” Alfred nodded. “And...please, don’t mention the...” Dick trailed up, reaching up the gesture at his own neck.

Alfred smiled. “My lips are sealed, Master Richard.”

*

Dick made his way upstairs, was going go directly to Damian’s room- but paused at the top of the stairs, then turned, heading in the opposite direction. He was pretty sure whatever Bruce was doing, he’d want to be interrupted for this. 

He made his way down the hallway, saw the door to Bruce’s study was closed. He walked up to it, was ready to knock, when he paused, his knuckles barely a breath from the door. Had he heard... _something_? Frowning. Dick leaned in, pressed his ear against the thick door. He didn’t have Damian’s rather exceptional hearing, and he closed his eyes, thinking he had to be crazy-

And there it was again, that breathy little _moan_ , one that he felt he knew, if he dug through the connections in his brain, if he concentrated for a minute-

It came again, a little louder, and he knew, he _knew_ , and Dick was jerking back from the door. Flashes of nights past in the Manor, of an affair long since burned out, of hands that handled him on the loving side of rough, on the cocky side of talented-

_Jason_.

Dick took a step back, shook his head. Had to be _crazy_. But...well, Jason _had_ been around a lot recently. And sure, he was working this case now, and yeah, he had that injury that Dick was sure Alfred was looking into a few times a day for him-

_He was gentle._

_We’re staying in too._

Dick raked a hand back through his hair. Oh, god, Jason had been hinting at it _the whole time_ , right in front of his face. And he hadn’t seen it- he was fucking Bruce. Jason was fucking _Bruce_. Or, the other way around, Dick wasn’t sure, _didn’t need to know_ , could only turn on his heel, walking quickly down the hallway, towards Damian’s room, tearing into it and closing the door rather loudly. From Damian’s desk, Alfred lifted his head, before resuming his curled up position, among a few of Damian’s notebooks.

“Grayson?” Damian asked, his bathroom door open, speaking around a toothbrush, a mouth full of toothpaste foam. Dick dropped his bag on the floor, walking towards the doorway to lean against it as Damian leaned over the sink. Sasha was clutching to his shoulder, rather unphased by all his moving. “Perhaps I should have a tooth brush at your apartment,” Damian mused, glancing over- and then frowning. Dick looked as if he had seen a ghost. “What is wrong?”

“Uh...nothing.” He shook his head. “Nothing. You okay with me waiting for Bruce in here?”

“Yes. I do have a paper I...may have put off yesterday to come see you.” Dick forced a smile, trying to calm down his heart rate. He didn’t need to try and explain this to Damian right then.

“You work on that, I don’t need to be entertained.” He leaned in, kissed Damian’s temple, and then plucked the kitten from his shoulder, holding her against his chest. He headed back over to the bed, where the other two kittens were curled up on one of Damian’s hoodies, and flopped down. Sasha walked a few circles on his stomach, before laying back down, as Damian grabbed a few books and his laptop from his desk, bringing them over to the bed and settling next to Dick, sitting back in the pillows.

Idly, Dick lifted one of the books, flipping through it, reading here and there as he listened to Damian type. He didn’t feel as if he truly _saw_ any of the words on the page- his mind was too distracted.

Jason. And Bruce.

And Dick knew he couldn’t exactly blame him- which one of them _hadn’t_ harbored some sort of boyhood crush on their mentor? He knew Tim had, the two had joked about it a few times- but _Jason_? The one who was always first to tear into Bruce and all his flaws- the one who, Dick guessed, had the most reason to.

He set the book aside, pulled his phone from his pocket, opening his last message to Jason, and sending very quickly, _text me when you get this. We need to talk._ Maybe he was crazy. Maybe Jason had an explanation-

Maybe he was completely right.

He set his phone aside, choosing instead to watch Damian’s fingers as they _clicked_ away on his keyboard, glancing at the screen from time to time. He didn’t have to wait too long- his phone buzzed within ten minutes, and he grabbed for it, Damian glancing at him from the corner of his eyes.

_You here? Kitchen in five._ Dick shoved his phone into his pocket, sitting up, displacing Sasha- who voiced her anger about it, before taking up the spot next to Damian’s thigh, snuggling up to his jeans.

“Where are you going?” Damian asked, looking back at his screen.

“I’m thirsty,” Dick lied- and he was glad Damian didn’t look at him, because he felt as if it was blatant. But he just...he didn’t want to bring Damian into this. Not yet. “Do you want anything?”

Damian shrugged a shoulder, obviously engrossed in his work, and Dick gave him a half smile, before hurrying out of the room and down the stairs, towards the kitchen. It was empty when he got there, and he was glad Alfred hadn’t had a reason to be in there as well. He leaned his back against the counter, rubbing his hands up over his face, back into his hair, eyes closed.

When he pulled them away, it was to the stilling of footsteps in the doorway. Jason leaned against it, folding his arms, barely dressed- he hadn’t even bothered to button his jeans, his shirt was long gone, and Dick groaned.

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You okay there Dickie? Didn’t think you still had that sort of reaction around me.” He grinned, and Dick shook his head. “What is so important that we need to talk about? Everything good with you and the bat brat?”

“Yeah,” Dick admitted, “Yeah, things are all good with Damian.”

“He seemed pretty upset, granted he acted like it was nothing. Did you fuck up or was he just an idiot?”

“I guess both,” Dick offered, “Look, that’s not what I wanna talk about.” Jason nodded, waiting for him to continue, and Dick didn’t even know how to _ask_ -

Well, except to be blunt.

“Are you sleeping with Bruce?”

Jason stared at him for a minute, and Dick half expected him to burst out laughing, to double over and call him an _idiot_ to-

“Yeah.” Jason grinned, pushed off the doorway and walked over to Dick, boxing him in against the counter. “Took you long enough to catch on there, Dickie.”

Dick stared, his mouth open. “But...but... _Bruce_?”

“C’mon, don’t tell me you never crushed on the old Bat.” Dick sucked on his lip, and Jason smiled more. “See, I know you did. Tim too. It was like a rite of passage, having the hots for him.”

“But...you’re actually...and _he’s_ -“

“Probably even more reluctant then you were with Damian.” Jason moved slightly, to lean one hip against the counter, sighing. “Pain in my ass, that guy.”

Dick scrunched up his face. “Oh god Jay don’t-“

Jason barked in laughter, reaching out and grabbing Dick’s shoulder, leaning into his arm. “Oh fuck Dick, I didn’t mean like _that_. Get your head out of the gutter.” He rested his chin on his hand, staring rather fondly at his once-lover. “Bruce is actually really gentle.”

“Good to know,” Dick said with a roll of his eyes. “I’ll pass on the details.”

“Mhmm, you say that now. You’ll be calling me in a day, two tops, wanting all of them.” Jason pulled back. “And really, you can’t blame me. I mean, you’re fucking the baby bat.”

“Yeah, well...” Dick trailed off, really didn’t have anything else to say, and shrugged a shoulder. “I care about Damian. A lot... more then I think I did when I first got into this. We’re...something, Jay. We’re something.” Jason smiled, the soft kind, the kind Dick felt like he hadn’t seen in far too long.

“Good for you two. You might be what that kid needs.” He leaned in, kissed Dick’s cheek affectionately. “You’re pretty cute together, too.”

“Thanks.” He reached out, grabbed Jason’s hand before he could pull away, pulled it up, kissed his knuckles. “You let me know if Bruce ever hurts you. I’m not afraid of him.” Jason laughed.

“He’s hurt me plenty, Dick. You know that.” Dick was quiet. “And you’re _terrified_ of him. Can’t even tell him you’re fucking his kid.”

“That’s not a conversation I want to have with anyone, to be fair.” Dick let go of his hand, and Jason reached out, ruffling his hair.

“Yeah, alright. I don’t blame you.” He glanced at the doorway. “I’m gonna let you get back to your brat, mine is probably wondering where I ran off to.” Dick nodded, watched Jason go, before leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

This family was so dysfunctional.

*

Damian glanced up when Dick returned to his room, shutting the door behind him quietly. “Did you get lost on the way to the kitchen?” He eyed his empty hands, then turned back to his computer, picking up where his thoughts had left off.

“Sorry, ran into Jason,” he admitted, crawling back onto the bed, this time sitting up, wrapping an arm around Damian’s shoulders.

“Of course Todd is here again. I am beginning to think he never leaves.”

“I’d probably agree with that.” Dick kissed at Damian’s hair as the teen continued to type.

“Perhaps you should find Pennyworth and remind him you need to speak with father. Or I can get him for you, if you are too frightened to interrupt him.” Dick tensed, and Damian tried to glance back at him.

“I...can wait.” He frowned. Dick was being strange.

“Let’s just get it over with. Perhaps then this whole case can be put to rest. I am rather tired of it. I also would prefer father not ask you to entertain anymore dates with your little _girlfriend_.” Damian’s tone was teasing, but somewhere in his belly he was being honest- didn’t like the idea of Dick out with anyone else. Didn’t like the idea of sharing him.

“I’ll talk to him later-“ Dick was cut off as Damian set his laptop aside, getting up and walking around the bed. He grabbed Dick’s bag, throwing it over his shoulder, and made his way out of his room. He heard Dick scrambling up behind him, yelling at him, but Damian took off running, down the hallway, towards the study.

The door was shut, and really, he had no promise his father was in there- but it was always a good start. Without a knock or a word, he shoved it in, loudly saying, “Father, Grayson needs to-“

He paused, words lost in his mouth, as he stared at his father and Jason. Jason, who was settled up on the side of the desk, hands tugging on the ends of Bruce’s button down- which was half open. Damian couldn’t tell if he was attempting to tug it off, or fix it.

It didn’t matter. He got enough of an idea, even if just from the closeness, Bruce nearly against him, between his legs.

“Well fuck,” Jason muttered, Bruce staring.

“Damian-“

“Mother of god,” he breathed, nearly dropping Dick’s bag off his shoulder. Behind him, his lover had reached the doorway, gripping onto it and leaning in, face going pale. “You and Todd are...” He trailed off, shook his head.

“Damian, let me explain.” Bruce pulled away from Jason, actually looking rather embarrassed, and Dick almost felt bad- actually, he _did_ feel bad. He couldn’t fault Jason and Bruce, not with what he had with Damian. Even if it felt somewhat strange to think about it- but then, he was sure Bruce had felt it strange to think about he and Jason, back when they had been a thing, or he and Barabra-

“No need,” Damian said, holding up his hand. “I am not an idiot, I can judge what is going on.” Bruce stepped closer still, moving towards his son who, to Damian’s credit, held his ground, staring at Bruce with hard eyes.

“Damian, just lis- what is on your neck?” He stopped, and Damian reached up, palming at some of the bruises. Bruce’s lips turned into a frown, and he glanced from Damian, to behind him, to Dick in the doorway.

And Dick was fairly sure, in that moment, he was as good as dead.

Jason hopped off the desk, walking quickly over to Damian, hooking an arm in his. “Hey kiddo,” he said, “How about you and I go have a chat? I think your dad and Dick have some talking to do.” Damian frowned, letting Dick’s bag finally fall gently from his shoulder, to sit on the ground.

“Fine,” he agreed, staring up at his father, before turning, following Jason out. Dick moved to let them past, and Damian openly ran his fingers down his arm, fingers almost threatening to entangle with his own.

When they were gone, Dick stared back into the room, swallowing the lump in his throat. He stepped in, closing the door behind him. “So...am I starting, or are you?”

“What the _hell_ are you thinking?”

“Guess I am then.” He sighed, stuffed his hands in his pockets, kept his distance. “I’m thinking that I guess I’m into your son.” Okay, not the smoothest delivery, but he had to start somewhere.

“He’s a _kid_ , Dick-“

“He’s not,” Dick corrected. “And fuck, you know, we never really treated him like one anyway, did we? Does Damian even know what being a kid means? He’s been an adult for...well...probably longer then me, if we’re honest.” He shrugged a shoulder. “You’re looking at me like I’m the devil, and I get it. I _do_. He’s your son and I’m...” Dick pulled a hand from his pocket, waving it, not really sure what he was trying to label himself as.

Bruce sighed, eyes softening, and took the few steps to Dick, reaching out, resting a hand on his shoulder. “He’s too young for you.”

“Trust me, I told him that. I told him that a _lot_. Damian doesn’t care. And well, I...I care, in the respect that I want this to be fair to him. But I care less and less each minute, because he seems _happy_. I saw him smile Bruce. A real smile. In fact, I’ve seen a lot of them.” Dick felt a little color rising in his cheeks, had to glance away. “I just...I care about him, you know? I always have. He was _my_ Robin first. He’s always been...something.” He glanced back, sighing. “You’re pretty pissed, right?”

Bruce studied him for a moment, his hand having fallen away from his shoulder, before he shook his head, gently. “No.” No, not when he could see the sincerity in Dick’s eyes. Not when there was a softness there when he spoke of Damian’s _smile_. “ I’m shocked, I will give you that. But I’m not...truly angry. Disappointed, only in that I worry you have not thought this through.”

“Trust me, I have been trying to. Really. But I...” Dick stopped, took a breath, “I love that brat in so many ways that it’s a little terrifying.” Bruce held his gaze, and there was the smallest smile coming at the corner of his lips.

“If there was ever anyone that seemed to make Damian happy, it was always you.” Dick smiled then, the kind Bruce used to see on his face when he was a _kid_ , when he told him he’d done a good job for the night. The smile that only came out when Bruce approved, praised. The smile reserved for a father’s affection. And while Bruce’s heart was soft in the respect that Dick was like his _son_ , and while that made him want to see him happy, it also made the fact that his happiness was with _Damian_ feel all the more stranger. “I’m going to need time to get used to this idea.” Just as he had needed the time to get used to the idea of Dick and Jason, when they had been a thing- a complication Bruce had not overseen in his own romantic endeavors. “You _are_ so much older then him.”

“I could say the same thing about you and Jay.” Bruce grimaced a little at that, and Dick laughed. “I’m not judging, and honestly, I’m not even asking for an explanation. Just be careful with him? I know he doesn’t seem it but Jay...well, he’s soft, down at the core. I remember.” There was a glimmer in his eyes, a little curve at the ends of his mouth, that moment of memory, a glimpse he was allowing Bruce to see. That he loved Jason, and maybe that love had changed, over the years- but so had his love for Damian. Affection could easily go through metamorphosis countless times before it settled on a form, if it ever did.

But most importantly, his eyes held no ill-will towards Bruce. No anger over the fact that Jason had been his, not someone for Bruce to take. And perhaps it was in part due to the fact that Dick was with Bruce’s _son_ , but he truly believed in that moment that Dick didn’t care who Jason was with, as long as he was happy. And if Bruce could provide that, then it was enough.

Carefully, Bruce nodded, and offered, rather quietly,

“I have no intention of hurting him again.”

*

“You have been intimate with my _father_.” Damian was standing in the hallway, down towards his room, hadn’t even made it that far before turning and staring openly at Jason.

“And _you’re_ fucking my ex,” Jason pointed out, “So in a way, we’re both crossing a line. Is it really that weird?” Damian scrunched up his face.

“It is not something I prefer to think about.” Jason laughed.

“Yeah alright, I can get that.” He took a step towards Damian, and when the teen didn’t flinch closed the gap, throwing his arm around his shoulders. “You know, Dick really cares about you.”

“I am aware of this.” Jason rolled his eyes.

“I mean, you are pretty much the center of his Earth. You’ve always been special to him. I mean, he gave you your suit. I just don’t want you to think he’s going into this without feelings.”

“He and I have discussed our various affections, Todd.” Jason raised an eyebrow, and without prodding, Damian added, “And to shut you up, do not think I care nothing for Grayson. He is...dear to me.”

“That’s about as close as you’re gonna get to telling me you’re head over heels in love with him,” Jason pointed out, “So I’ll take it. Be good to him, okay? I know he’s annoying as all hell, and he seems like he just bounces back from everything with that _stupid and pretty_ grin, but Dick’s got a weak heart when he loves someone. Don’t crush it.”

Damian was quiet for a moment, sucking on his tongue. “I won’t,” he finally offered, whispering more to himself then to Jason, “That is the last thing I want.”

*

When Dick finally reappeared, Damian had gone back to his room, have shoved his books and his laptop back on his desk- disturbing Alfred from his nap, but the cat was forgiving- and was settled on the bed now. The kittens had woken up, made their way from Damian’s hoodie, were rolling around the bed, pawing at his jeans, Micah even attacking his foot once.

Damian glanced at him, and Dick closed the door, walked over to the bed and settled on it next to him, reaching out to scratch Lana’s belly. She squirmed, swiping at his finger.

“You are in one piece,” Damian pointed out, as Dick wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Your dad was pretty calm, all things considered. Besides, once we started talking business, he was distracted.” Damian leaned into him, slightly, felt Dick kissing his hair. His belly grew strangely tight over the subtle affection. “You and Jay have a talk?”

“Briefly.” Damian watched as Sasha jumped over her sister, climbing up onto him, walking right up his belly. He reached down to pet her. “I do not know where he went.”

“Probably to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes. I’m sure he and Bruce will be talking about this too.” Another squeeze. “You need to work on your paper?”

Damian thought about it, then, “You know, I believe it can wait.” He looked up at Dick. “Would you like to watch a movie?”

Dick grinned. “Are you just asking because you know it’s what I want to do.”

“Partially,” Damian admitted, carefully guiding the kitten off his belly so he could turn, partially laying in Dick’s lap. “Perhaps I would like to spend the time with you as well, Richard.” Dick laughed then, tossing his head back.

“I guess that’s a step up from Grayson,” he offered, and Damian rolled his eyes, heaving a sigh.

“You’re insufferable, Grayson...Dick.” He smiled, leaning up. “And I will never understand why I care about you so much.” He kissed him, gently, and Dick wrapped on arm around him, squeezing.

“That’s the fun of it,” Dick offered, brushing his nose against Damian’s. “Not knowing exactly why, or when it started, or how it’s going to play out.”

“You sound like a hopeless romantic.” Dick just grinned, kissing him again.

“Because I’m hopelessly in love with you?” Damian felt color rising in his cheeks, and he pushed himself up, settling between Dick’s legs, reaching up to cup his face in his hands. Dick turned, kissed the base of one thumb, and Damian felt his heart pounding in his chest, his pulse in his temples, could only stare at this man.

_Hopelessly in love_ , was that it? Was that the storm of affection he felt every time he looked at Dick, the sweet soothing calm of waking up against him, that fluttery nervousness when the light hit him right and he looked just _too pretty_. Was it all _love_?

“Relax,” Dick whispered, reaching up and covering Damian’s hands with his own. “I’m not asking you to say it too.” He pulled those hands away, kissed one of Damian’s wrists, and the teen felt almost dizzy. “Not even sure I’ll say it again soon like that. We took this pretty damn fast, kid.” Damian smiled, the small kind that was _real_ , that he couldn’t fight around Dick.

“Perhaps,” he whispered, “But do we take anything slowly in this family?” Dick laughed, another kiss to Damians wrist. It shouldn’t have made his belly knot up the way it did.

“True, we really don’t. So, about that movie?” Damian nodded, and Dick reached out, pulled him in closer. “How about you get a book, and we just stay up here, in bed?” Damian raised an eyebrow, and Dick just gave him that sweet smile again. “We don’t always have to do what I want, little D. Besides- all I really want is to be with you.” He leaned back, giving Damian a little nod, who slid off the bed, walking over towards his deck. Mostly littered with books from school, and Alfred’s content sleeping body, there was a stack of a few he had pulled from his father’s library that he had wanted to read, should the time arise.

He plucked one off the top, turning and heading back to the bed. He crawled on, settling in between Dick’s legs, his back against his chest, and opened the book. Dick smiled, wrapped one arm around him, the other stroking his hair back from his forehead, as he glanced over his shoulder, reading not in any entirety, but words here and there. More so then anything, he was simply enjoying Damian in his arms, relaxed against him. Damian, without the weight of the world for once, bearing down on him.

Damian, as nothing more then the teenage boy he had hopelessly fallen for, with his striking eyes and serious mouth- with his collection of pets and his alarmingly strange mask.

Damian, as nothing more then a boy who was working to put a name to all the affection he had for Dick- and learning that, with the right person, love wasn’t as unsavory as he might have thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damian is ridiculously fun to write. I probably could have just gone on with this forever.


End file.
